The Original Daughter
by Angels are Watching Over You
Summary: Irina Bennett is Bonnie's adopted sister, and best friends to Elena and Caroline. Is she harboring a giant secret? Does she even know it herself? Just what is so special about Irina Bennett?
1. beginnings

**~ Guys, I'm reuploading the story I deleted a while back. I really liked it, so I hope you'll like it too. :) **

* * *

Fathers, be good to your daughters  
Daughters will love like you do  
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers  
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

-John Mayer, Daughters

* * *

_**Autumn 993**_

Aoife carried the basket of clothes that needed washing to the river. She felt as though she was being watched, but she shook it off as no big deal. She knelt on the bank of the river and began her washing. She would always sing when she did her daily chores. Her mother would always tell her that it helped pass the time. She wondered if her mother would be proud of her in this moment.

Before her parents had died, they expressed their disdain at her behavior with Niklaus. They were both good friends, but there were no growing feelings of love between them. They were friends who occasionally had relations with each other, but there were absolutely no romantic feelings toward each other. They were both an outlet for each other's primal urges- each caring for the other as a friend, but nothing more.

She knew her mother didn't think it was right for an unmarried woman to have relations with a man who wasn't her husband, but Aoife didn't see any harm in it. When her parents died, however, it was revealed that they were planning with Esther and Mikael. They wanted to arrange a marriage between Niklaus and Aoife- for Niklaus it was meant to tame his impulsive nature, and for Aoife it was to stop her promiscuous behavior towards other men.

They both accepted the arranged marriage- of course; Mikael didn't give them much of a choice. After the wedding they both tried to be the perfect married couple, and it was working out rather well. They didn't really know how to be a married couple- they were _only eighteen_ for goodness sake. She heard a twig snap behind her and whipped her head around. Niklaus was smiling behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I thought I'd listen to my wife's beautiful voice," he said.

She rolled her eyes and smirked at him. "Is that so," she said.

He nodded as he sat on the ground beside her. He looked at her, but his smile fell when he saw the tear marks on her face.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

He reached up to wipe the tears away and said; "You've been crying."

She looked shocked, and wiped at her face. "I didn't realize," she said.

"Why were you crying?" he asked.

"I was thinking about my mother. She would always sing that song when we did our chores," she said.

He smiled softly at her. Sure he wasn't in love with her, but he did love her. He cared for her wellbeing, and he wanted to see her happy. "Does it help to talk about her?" he asked.

"Sometimes," she said.

He smiled. "Then our child shall know everything about her grandparents. Where they sailed here from; how they acted; everything," he replied.

A smile lit up her face, and it warmed him inside. Every night he prayed that their child would have her beautiful smile. She had the perfect full lips, and her smile could light up a room- he wanted his child to have that quality.

"Do you need help carrying that?" he asked as she stood.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pregnant- that doesn't mean I can't fend for myself," she said.

He just smiled at her need for independence and followed her back to their small home.

* * *

Niklaus helped Aoife hang up the clothes to dry. He always got teased by his brothers when he helped her with 'women's work' but he didn't care. He had heard that pregnant women should get more rest than women who aren't pregnant, and he didn't want her to over exert herself. He hadn't even seen the child yet, and he already loved it more than life itself.

"How is the child?" he asked when he saw her put a hand on her stomach.

She smiled at him. "It is strong, and demands attention," she replied.

He laughed at her answer, and said; "So already it is acting like Bekah."

Her beautiful laughter was contagious, and soon he found himself laughing as well. They walked back into the house where dinner was almost finished cooking. He sat at the table and began sharpening his blade so he could go hunting tomorrow, when there was a knock at the door. He got up to answer it so that Aoife could finish her cooking.

Rebekah, Kol, and Henrik entered the area where Aoife was cooking- they all had huge grins on their faces. They were Niklaus' younger siblings- Rebekah had just turned thirteen, Kol was sixteen, and Henrik was six. They all looked like they were up to something, and Aoife knew it was never good when they were scheming.

"What are you three up to?" she teased.

Henrik was the first to answer. "We have a surprise," he said.

"Is that so?" she asked.

He nodded, while Rebekah said; "It's for the new baby."

Niklaus and Aoife smiled at the three, and asked; "What is it?"

"Close your eyes," Kol said.

She looked to Niklaus who just shrugged and did what he said. She also closed her eyes, and felt someone reach for her hand. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as she felt cold metal fall into her hand.

"Okay, open your eyes," Rebekah said.

She did, and gasped when she saw what was in her hands. It was a beautiful gold locket, with an Onyx stone in the middle. She held it by the chain and watched as it twirled in the light.

"It's beautiful," Niklaus commented.

"It's from Ayanna too. It's the baby's first birthday gift!" Henrik said.

She smiled at the child, and said; "Thank you- all of you."

She knew Rebekah would try to give them some sort of gift- it was sort of her thing. Henrik normally tried to follow what his older siblings were doing, and he liked giving gifts as much as he liked receiving them. However, Kol had surprised her. Ever since he found out the wonders of women, he has been nothing but immature innuendos and jokes.

They stayed for a while before they had to leave to finish their own chores and Niklaus sat staring at the necklace.

* * *

Niklaus and Aoife were both sleeping soundly. They didn't know it, but both were dreaming of what their child will look like. Aoife was brought out of her dreams by a hand wrapping around her swollen belly. She smiled when she realized it was Niklaus. Since she revealed her pregnancy, he had been extremely protective of her. People could hardly look in her direction without being question by him. She would just shake her head and roll her eyes.

She slipped back into dreamland, but was shocked out of her dreams hours later by a pain through her abdomen. She looked to the window, and saw it was barely morning. Niklaus wasn't beside her, but his shoes were still by the door- hopefully he was within earshot.

"Niklaus!" she shouted.

She didn't hear anything. When she tried to stand, the pain shot through her stomach again. It was a clenching pain, and it radiated through her midsection. She waited a moments before hearing footsteps coming through the door.

"Niklaus!" she shouted again.

He came rushing into the room, and when he saw her he rushed to her side. "What is it? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Get Ayanna- please. Or Esther…" she said.

"Is the baby coming?" he asked.

"I think so. Please, just get someone," she said.

He ran out of the room and straight to his parents' home. Rebekah was already outside helping Esther with the morning chores. They looked startled by Niklaus when he came running toward them.

"Niklaus, what has happened?" Esther asked.

He was out of breath, but tried speaking anyway. "She… and Aoife… needs…" he stuttered.

"Niklaus, breathe," Rebekah said.

"Aoife sent me to get you. She thinks the baby is coming now," he managed to say.

They both ran to get Ayanna before rushing to help Aoife with her delivery.

* * *

Niklaus wouldn't stop pacing. Every time he heard Aoife's cries, he wanted to rush in there to comfort her. His brothers looked just as uncomfortable. Aoife was like a sister to them too, and she had been in labor for hours. Then there was the matter of wondering if the baby would be stillborn or not- it had happened to other couples and they hadn't been the same afterwards. It was like a part of them went missing, and they couldn't get it back.

Kol stood from where he sat on a stone, and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Niklaus, you will make a hole in the Earth if you do not stop pacing," he said.

Niklaus scowled at him, but was interrupted from whatever he was about to say when the door opened. Esther and Ayanna exited looking worn and tired, and they smiled at Niklaus. "Go see your child, Niklaus," Ayanna said.

As soon as she opened her mouth, he was sprinting for the front door. He ran through to the bedroom and opened the door to see Rebekah and Aoife smiling at a cooing baby. The child seemed entranced by Rebekah's blonde hair.

"Nik, her eyes! They are beautiful!" Rebekah exclaimed as she stood to hug the new father.

"Her?" he asked.

Rebekah smiled and nodded, motioning for him to go see as she exited the room. Niklaus knelt by the low bed and smiled at the beautiful baby in his wife's arms. She was stunning- the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"She is lovely, isn't she," Aoife stated.

Niklaus nodded. "Breathtaking… genuine beauty," he commented.

"What should we name her?" Aoife asked.

Niklaus thought for a moment. "I am not certain. She needs a special name," he said.

They both seemed deep in thought, before Niklaus thought of the perfect name. "What about Irina?" he asked.

She thought for a moment, and then a smile came over her face. "Irina is beautiful- and it means peace, does it not?" she asked.

"Yes, it does," he replied.

Irina began to squirm in her mother's arms, and Aoife smiled at her. "Would you like to hold your daughter, Niklaus?" she asked.

He hesitated. "I would, but… what if I don't do it right," he said.

Aoife rolled her eyes. "It's not difficult, Niklaus. Here- position your arms like mine, and I will hand her to you," she said.

Niklaus did as she said, and she handed Irina to him. The child began to cry as she was placed in his arms, and he looked fearful. "Did I do something?" he asked.

"No, she just didn't want to be moved. Comfort her, Niklaus," Aoife said.

Niklaus did his best at comforting the child, but it was difficult. He didn't know how- he had never needed to comfort his younger siblings when they were newborns. That had been his mother's job. He tried calming her by holding her close and shushing. It seemed to work, and Irina opened her eyes.

Niklaus gasped. "Aoife, her eyes… they are so beautiful," he said.

"Yes, they are. See, she is already taking after her father," she teased.

Niklaus spent the rest of the day holding his daughter whenever he could. He was the happiest man in the world at that moment, and he vowed to protect his daughter with his life. No harm would ever come to her.

* * *

"You know what the great thing about babies is? They are like little bundles of hope. Like the future in a basket."  
― Lish McBride


	2. i am not there

seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me  
So I sing a song of love

-Julia by The Beatles

* * *

_**Summer 996**_

Three-year-old Irina was playing outside with her uncle Elijah. Elijah and Finn were the best storytellers, and she loved hearing them tell about the land across the sea. This time, he told her a story that her maternal grandparents would tell them. It was about something called mermaids, and how they would sing to attract sailors to the rocky shores. She was so entranced with the story that she didn't notice her father walking up behind them.

"Elijah, please wait," he said.

They turned, and she smiled the bright smile that she got from her mother. "Hi papa," she said.

He smiled back at her. "Hello darling," he said.

"Did you need something, Niklaus?" Elijah asked.

His expression changed to that of worry when he addressed Elijah. "Irina, sweetheart, why don't you go back inside and help Rebekah," he said.

She looked concerned with her father's change in mood, but she did as he said.

* * *

"Niklaus, I was telling her a story. What is the matter?" Elijah asked.

Niklaus shook his head and sighed. "Aoife is not well. She has caught the sweating sickness that is spreading around the village," he said.

"Are you certain- the same one that has befallen Finn's wife and son?" Elijah asked.

Niklaus nodded. "Ayanna and Esther both confirmed it this morning. She does not have much time left, Elijah," he said.

Elijah placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Then we shall make certain she is happy for her remaining days," he said.

Niklaus looked at his brother and sighed. His best friend- his closest companion- was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "What about Irina, Elijah? She deserves to have her mother," he said.

"And she will- she will remember her mother in fondness, and this will only make her stronger," Elijah said.

Niklaus nodded and sat down, placing his head in his hands.

* * *

Irina did as her father asked, and went to see if Rebekah needed help. She didn't need any help, but instead sent Irina to help Aoife with dinner. She entered her home and saw her mother stirring something in a bowl, and went to help her. She stood on the stool that her father had made for her, so she would be able to reach higher places, and began helping her mother.

Her mother had not been acting the same for the past few days. Her cheeks had been flaming red, and she had been sweating profusely for the past week. Today she looked to be swaying on her feet, and she looked like she was sleeping on her feet.

"Irina, can you pass me that spoon?" she asked.

"Yes momma," she said as she handed her the spoon.

Aoife reached for it, but instead her hand flew to her head and she had to hold onto the table to balance herself. She began swaying on her feet, and fell backward onto the floor. Irina rushed to her side, and began shaking her shoulder.

"Momma, are you okay?" she asked.

She wasn't waking, so Irina did the only thing she could think to do. She ran to find her father.

* * *

Niklaus was still speaking with Elijah when Irina came running towards them. She looked panicked, and Niklaus feared that she could be hurt.

"Papa," she cried.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Momma… she fell and she won't wake up," she said.

He shared a look with Elijah, and they both began running in the direction of Niklaus' home. Irina was running after them as fast as she could, and caught up with them as they were going through the front door. Rebekah had seen the commotion and she alerted her mother who ran to the home as well.

Irina wanted to help, but Elijah said she should stay outside. She began to protest, when Kol picked her up. "Why don't we go to the field, yes?" he asked.

He knew she loved going to the field where the wildflowers bloomed. She nodded and they began walking away. Normally she would have jumped at any opportunity to go with Kol- he was the only one that would really let her have any fun- but she was just too worried about her mother.

* * *

Niklaus had carried Aoife to the bed and laid her down. Fear and sadness were washing over him, and he couldn't stop the tears that were beginning to gather in his eyes. Rebekah had entered the room, and he could see she had been crying for her friend. She had a bowl of water and a cloth in her hands, and began wiping the sweat from Aoife's face.

"Kol took Irina so she wouldn't have to see this," Rebekah murmured.

Niklaus nodded and said nothing. He knew that Aoife didn't have much time left, but he didn't know that she would be fading so quickly. Esther entered then with a bottle of herbs, and sat them down beside the bed.

"Niklaus and Elijah, please wait outside," she said.

"But mother…" Elijah began.

"Now, please. And bring Irina- she needs to say goodbye to her mother," Esther stated.

Elijah pulled Niklaus from the house and they went to find Irina. If she was with Kol, they knew where she'd be- in the wildflowers. When they arrived to the field, they saw Irina showing Kol what she had learned from Esther and Ayanna. She was making leaves float from the ground, and Kol was amazed.

"Brother…" Niklaus began.

Kol looked up and took in his brothers' grave expressions, and stood up. He took Irina's hand and handed her to Niklaus. He picked her up and they began walking to the house. Niklaus looked empty and broken. Everyone knew that he and Aoife weren't 'in-love', but he was still losing one of his best friends with her death.

They arrived to the house and Niklaus sent Irina in to speak with her mother- possibly for the last time. He, Elijah, and Kol stayed outside, waiting for news of Aoife's passing.

* * *

Irina ran to the room where her mother was, and saw her Amma and Aunt Bekah sitting there with tears on their faces. She didn't understand what was happening. She went to sit by her mother, and Esther began chanting in Latin. Aoife opened her eyes and looked at her daughter's face.

"Irina…" she said.

"Momma, why are Amma and Aunt Bekah crying?" she asked.

Aoife sighed. "Because, I have to leave," she replied.

"Am I coming too?" Irina asked.

"No, baby. You must stay here and help papa," she said.

"Why can't you stay and help him?" Irina asked.

She smiled. "My time here is done. I have to go to Heaven," she said.

Aoife was different than most of the people in the village. Christianity had already reached her land by the time she was born, and her entire family was Catholic. Niklaus thought them to simply be stories, like the tales of his people, but she swore they were real. She believed it so wholeheartedly that he wanted her to teach them to their daughter. He felt as though if she didn't teach them, he would be depriving Irina of her heritage, and he didn't want her to be deprived of anything.

"What is Heaven, momma?" Irina asked.

Aoife smiled. "My child; Heaven is a wonderful place above the clouds. You can only see it when you die. Do not fear, my dear- I will always be watching over you," she said.

"You can stay here and watch me too," Irina replied.

"No, I cannot. This body is ill and broken. I will get a new one when I go to Heaven. You won't be able to see me, but I know you'll realize I'm still there with you," she said.

"How will I know?" Irina asked with tears forming.

"Look for me in anything you find beautiful, and you'll see," Aoife answered.

Irina sniffled. "I will miss you momma," she said.

"And I you, my darling. But we will see each other again someday. I need you to be strong- and I need you to be a good girl, okay," she replied.

"Yes, momma. I promise," she said.

"Good girl," Aoife began before turning to Esther. "Promise me you'll protect my daughter- please," she said.

"I will always protect her, Aoife- as I wish I could have protected you… my daughter," she said.

Aoife smiled and turned to Rebekah, who was crying so much she could hardly speak. "Rebekah," Aoife began.

"I will miss you, Aoife," Rebekah stated.

"And I will miss you as well, my sister," she said.

Aoife began coughing and her eyes closed. Her breathing became uneven, and her entire body went limp. She was gone from this world, and there was no way to bring her back.

* * *

Do not stand at my grave and weep  
I am not there. I do not sleep.

- Mary Elizabeth Fry


	3. ulrik

**AN; This is kind of a short chapter, but I'm getting closer to the end of the past chapters. **

* * *

We live in circles  
And it's so hard to breathe  
Maybe the same old fears  
What have we here?

- Youth by Foxes

* * *

_**Winter 996**_

Niklaus woke up to crying from the room beside him. He stood and made his way into the room where his daughter slept. There were no 'doors' in the home- which was more like a small hut- but there were still spaces that were sectioned off that could be considered 'bedrooms'. He didn't really need the privacy anymore, considering he had just lost his wife months earlier.

He walked to where his daughter was sleeping and knelt by the bed. She was murmuring in her sleep- crying for her momma. He felt tears come to his eyes when he heard her broken voice crying for her mother, and he wanted to do anything he could to take that pain away from her.

"Irina…" he said softly.

Irina opened her eyes, and he saw the tears in them. She sniffled and wrapped her arms around him as best as she could. "I miss momma," she cried.

"I know, sweetheart. I miss her too," Niklaus said.

She kept her head on his shoulder and continued crying. In that moment he was willing to do anything he could to make her feel better- anything to make her tears stop.

"Will you tell me about the land where momma came from?" she asked.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that her tears were beginning to dry up. "I will tell you as much as I know about it," he replied.

He moved on the bed so that she was lying beside him, and began telling her one of the stories that Aoife would enchant him and his siblings with. It was a legend about a land called Tír na nÓg. It was supposed to be a land of eternal youth, and he was about to tell her the legend of a woman named Niamh, but he had noticed Irina had snuggled into his side and drifted to sleep.

He sighed and drifted to sleep beside her, hoping his presence might keep the nightmares away.

* * *

The next morning Niklaus woke up before Irina did, and decided to let her sleep in for once. She was such a good child, and did all her chores without complaining. The chores could wait- she needed sleep. He got ready to face the day and began his work. Rebekah had been coming over to help out, and she was teaching Irina how to cook and clean.

Niklaus was working outside- chopping wood for the fire- when Elijah approached with Rebekah and another woman whom he had never seen before. He took in her beautiful raven hair and tanned skin. Her eyes were brown and full of laughter, even though she wasn't laughing. She had a small child with her- a young boy about Irina's age. He stopped what he was doing when Rebekah rushed to him and gave him a quick hug.

"Where is Irina?" she asked.

"I let her sleep this morning. You may wake her if you wish," he replied.

Rebekah nodded and ran to wake the child, and Niklaus looked to Elijah- waiting for introductions to be made.

"Niklaus…" Elijah began.

Niklaus nodded to his brother. "Elijah…" he said, before turning his attention to the young woman and child.

"Niklaus, this is Tatia and her son, Ulrik. They are new to the village," he said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Tatia," he began before kissing the back of her hand.

There was no denying her beauty. She looked similar to his late wife, Aoife, but her eyes held a sinister mischief that Aoife's did not.

"It is indeed a pleasure, Niklaus," she said.

Elijah and Tatia stayed to talk for a while before they left to visit other homes in the village. Niklaus learned of how she was once married in her homeland of Bulgaria, but the man had died and she had been forced to flee during a wave of sickness. She had just arrived here with her parents. He felt bad for the young woman, but he also felt himself lusting for her. It had been a while since he was with a woman, but he didn't want to seem desperate. He finished his work as the mysterious young woman continued to plague his thoughts.

* * *

Irina and Rebekah had been working for hours- it was a full moon, and people were preparing to go to the caves. Irina was helping Rebekah carry blankets to the caves where they stayed when she saw Elijah and Niklaus speaking with a woman. She was pretty, and Irina liked her smile- it was sweet, but not as pretty as her mother's. Irina frowned when she thought of her mother who had passed only a few months before.

"Irina…" Rebekah said.

Irina shook her head. "Sorry Aunt Bekah," she said.

"Get a move on, dear. We have to have the caves prepared- Tatia and Ulrik will be staying with us," she said.

"Who?" Irina asked.

"That lady talking to your father and Uncle 'Lijah- she is new here, and she will be staying in the caves with us, along with her son," Rebekah replied.

* * *

The morning had finally arrived, and Irina ran out of the caves to avoid her father. She always had to help with chores the day after their time in the caves, but in her mind- if he couldn't find her, he couldn't give her chores to do. She was one of the first out of the caves, and her face lit up at the sight of freshly fallen snow. The new little boy, Ulrik, was excited as well.

"Irina, let's go play in the snow!" he said.

"Okay. Let me go tell papa before I leave," she said.

She turned to run and find him, but instead bumped into her uncle Elijah. He was talking to Tatia… again.

"Ah, there you are dear. Your father is looking for you," he said.

"I'm looking for him too. I want to go play with Ulrik!" she exclaimed.

Elijah pointed the way, and she ran to find her father. She kept tripping over the hem of her dress. She saw her father in the distance chopping firewood with Kol, and she picked up the pace. Before she could get there someone grabbed her and picked her up. It was her grandmother, Esther.

The woman smiled down at her granddaughter, and said; "Young ladies are not supposed to run like that- you'll ruin your dress."

"Yes ma'am," she replied.

"Good girl… now, have you been practicing?" she asked.

Irina's face lit up and she smiled the beautiful smile she inherited from her mother. "Yes ma'am!" she exclaimed.

"Good," Esther said before kissing the top of her head and continuing on her way.

Irina turned to run to her father, only to find that he was right behind her. He had a pleasant smile on his face, as did Kol. "Papa!" she said.

He picked her up and gave her a kiss. "Yes sweetheart?" he asked.

"May I go play with Ulrik? I'll be good!" she said.

He laughed at her, and a warm smiled graced his features. "Of course, but be back by midday to begin your chores, okay?" he said.

"Yes sir," she said as he put her down.

She rant to find Ulrik so they could play by the falls.

* * *

Irina and Ulrik had been playing by the falls for quite some time. Elijah and Tatia had insisted on joining them, but they had gone off somewhere to talk. Irina and Ulrik didn't know where they had gone, but they would be back soon- Elijah had left his bow behind. Irina's eyes lit up like Christmas morning. She ran to the bow and picked it up.

"What are you doing, Irina?" Ulrik asked.

She smiled. "I am going to shoot an apple from the tree," she said.

"Why? Can't you just climb and get it?" he asked.

"Because this way is more fun!" she said.

Kol had been teaching Henrik how to shoot, and Irina tagged along. He was the only one who didn't say something like 'young ladies don't shoot'. She thought him and Henrik were the 'fun' uncles. She pulled back on the bow, and an apple fell out of the tree moments later. She smiled and removed the arrow from the apple before taking a bite out of it.

"That was impressive," Tatia said from behind the two children.

Elijah had a disapproving look on his face, but he wouldn't say anything in front of Tatia. "Perhaps we should be getting back," he said.

Irina looked to the ground and sighed. She was going to be in so much trouble now. "Can't we stay a bit longer, Uncle 'Lijah?" she asked.

He shook his head and took the bow and arrows from her before picking her up as well.

* * *

They trailed a few feet behind Tatia and Ulrik, and Irina was still looking worried about him telling Niklaus. She looked like she was about to cry, and his heart was already aching for her. Niklaus was not cruel to her in the slightest, but she didn't like to disappoint him, and Elijah knew that. He put her down and held onto her hand as they neared the village.

"I won't tell your father if you promise not to do that again," he said.

She looked up at him with a smile, and wrapped her arms around his leg. "Thank you, Uncle 'Lijah!" she exclaimed.

He smiled as she ran to catch up with Tatia and Ulrik. He never stood a chance when it came to her, and it made him feel weak that a small child held so much power over him.

* * *

"New friends can often have a better time together than old friends."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald


	4. she's gone

**Chapter 4!**

* * *

What you got in store for me?  
Keep those, eyes closed next to me  
And I don't want another day to break  
Take our, steal our night away

- Warm Shadow by Fink

* * *

_**Autumn 998**_

Irina was sitting under the shade of a tree and reading the book her father had presented her for her birthday. She was one of the few children who knew how to read, and one of the only people to actually own a book. She was lucky to get it, because books were so expensive. She was actually a very bright child, and her grandmother had recently expressed how proud she was that her granddaughter picked up on reading so quickly.

She was humming a tune that her mother had sung to her as a lullaby when Elijah found her.

"That was one of my favorite songs that your mother sang," he said.

She smiled at him when he mentioned her mother. "Momma said it was a magical song," she said.

"Yes, I believe so. What are you doing here by yourself my dear?" he asked.

"Reading," she replied.

He smiled. "You normally only read when something is bothering you, child," he said.

She sighed and closed the book. She looked at him, and in her eyes he saw such innocence. "Why does grandfather dislike papa?" she asked.

Elijah's heart clenched. Kol and Rebekah tried their best to keep her away when Mikael was abusive to Niklaus, but she was smarter than the average child. They should have known she'd figure it out eventually. He sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap.

"I wish I knew my dear, but I do not. I suppose it is just his nature," Elijah stated.

She nodded and opened her mouth to say something when she saw her father walking towards them. He was dressed as if to go hunting, but Irina knew that meant he was off to see Tatia. She honestly was beginning to dislike that woman- she was stealing her father away, and it made Irina very unhappy. He glanced to Elijah and Irina, and stopped to give his daughter a hug.

"Papa, your eye…" she said.

"It is of little importance Irina," he said.

Elijah cleared his throat. He didn't like it when Niklaus lied to Irina. "Niklaus…" he started.

"No, Elijah," Niklaus replied.

Irina sighed and took her father's hand. She began muttering something under her breath that the two men couldn't understand and when she finished her father was completely healed. "There… now you're all better!" she said.

He smiled warmly at his daughter. "Thank you my sweetheart," he said before kissing her cheek.

* * *

Irina was trying her best to get some sleep, but nothing was working. Her father and uncle were missing, and she was getting worried. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen, and she didn't like it. It made her feel like she wanted to cry. They should be here by now- it was almost sunrise, and the wolves would have shifted back by now.

She left the caves with her aunt Rebekah and went to find her grandmother. Perhaps she would know where her father and uncle Henrik were.

"Amma, where is papa?" she asked.

Esther looked around. "I'm not sure sweetheart. I'm sure he'll be here soon," she said.

"I hope he isn't with Tatia," Irina grumbled.

Esther sighed. "I agree, my child. Have you been practicing your talents?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am!" she said excitedly.

"Okay, show me," Esther said.

Irina closed her eyes and felt power surge through her little body. She was quite powerful- both Ayanna and Esther were quite impressed. She was… what word did they use- a prodigy? She didn't know what that meant, but she assumed it was a good thing. She wanted to make the leaves swirl around her, so she concentrated. The leaves began swirling, and she opened her eyes to see the pleased faces of both Esther and Ayanna.

"Very good my dear! You are quite talented," Ayanna said.

"That was impressive, Irina," Elijah said as he made his way to the group of witches.

She smiled at her uncle. "Thank you, Uncle 'Lijah!" she said.

"What else can you do?" he asked.

She looked around for a moment, thinking of something else she could show him. When her eyes fell on Esther's dead flower garden, she pulled him to the plot of crunchy, dried leafy plants. She knelt on the ground, and Esther and Elijah knelt beside her. She cupped the flower gently in her hands, and began muttering words that were too low for them to hear. Suddenly, the dead flower began blooming to life. Instead of dried leaves and brown color, it was now a beautiful daisy.

"That is fantastic!" Elijah exclaimed.

She was about to respond when she heard her father shouting for his mother. They ran to see what the commotion was about, and when she arrived she was met with a scene she would never forget. Niklaus had just laid Henrik down on the ground. He was covered in gashes that oozed blood, and Irina didn't fully understand what was happening. She took his hand and saw nothing. Normally she got a feeling or a vision when she took someone's hand in hers, but there was nothing.

"What happened?" Esther asked.

"The wolves…" Niklaus responded.

Ayanna reached to touch his face, and explained that the spirits wouldn't give them a way to bring him back. He was gone. Elijah picked Irina off the ground and held her away from the scene. She felt the tears come to her eyes at the thought of never seeing Henrik again. She sniffled, and Elijah began rubbing her hair to make her feel better.

"Is he gone… like momma?" she whimpered.

Elijah simply nodded and she saw a stray tear trail down his cheek. Her father was inconsolable, and she knew to stay away when he was in a mood such as this.

* * *

That night Mikael made Irina and Niklaus stay in his home with the other siblings. Irina would sleep with Rebekah and Niklaus would share a room with Kol- Irina could already tell there would be some arguments going on in the morning. Rebekah knew something was going on, so she stayed up to listen to her parents talk with Ayanna.

"We have already lost too much, Ayanna. We cannot lose anymore," Esther said.

"This magic you speak of breads consequence. This is the making of a plague, Esther," Ayanna said.

Esther sighed. "Please, Ayanna. There is so much at stake here. I can't lose another child- or worse, my grandchild," she said.

"The spirits will turn on you. I will have no part in it," she said before leaving.

"If she will not protect our family, then it is in your hands alone my love," Mikael said.

Irina and Rebekah scurried away and went to sleep. It had been a long day, but no matter what Irina did, she couldn't get the image of Henrik out of her mind.

* * *

The next day Irina was forbidden from being in the room with the rest of the family. She didn't know what they were doing in there, but it frightened her that she could not see her father. She waited until they had all had their wine- a toast in Henrik's memory- before she snuck into the room with the family. She was hiding under a table and she watched as Mikael stood to grab his sword.

She had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming as she saw him- her own grandfather- raise his sword and stab it through Rebekah's heart. Her father jumped in front of Mikael to try and stop him, but he received a sword to the heart as well- followed by Elijah, Kol, and Finn. The tears kept falling, but she made no sound. She watched in terror as he raised his sword and plunged it into his own heart, falling to the ground before her.

She ran from underneath the table to sit beside her father and aunt. The tears were falling and she felt sobs forming in her throat.

"Papa..." she cried before someone picked her up from behind. She screamed until she realized it was Esther.

"Amma… he killed them. He killed papa and aunt Bekah…" she said, and rambled on as Esther tried to calm her granddaughter.

"Come child- we must prepare you for tomorrow," she said.

Irina seemed confused. "I'm not going to be killed am I?" she asked.

"No, I certainly hope not," Esther replied.

* * *

Irina had been bathed and oils had been infused in her hair. They smelled lovely- like the scent of her mother's perfume. She had been given a new dress- it was a beautiful lilac color. She was confused, because she had never seen the color in clothing before. It was only in nature. She loved it, though, and thanked her grandmother immensely.

"Why am I being dressed so pretty?" she asked.

"Because dear- we are sending you away for a while," she replied.

This frightened Irina, and she began to cry. "What?" she asked.

"Do not fear, my child. You will see your father and your aunt and uncles there," she said.

"I do not understand," she replied.

Esther sighed. "I cannot turn you right now- you are too young. If I did you'd be five autumns old for the rest of your life, and you'd lose your magic. I am sending you to a place called the future. When you find me there, I will return your memories to you," she said.

"I do not understand. Why must you take my memories?" she asked.

"Because, my dear, they would be too painful for you to keep. There is also another thing I must ask of you," she said.

"What?" Irina asked.

Esther looked down as if she were shamed, and peered at Irina through her lashes. "There is something about your father that nobody knows. He is not Mikael's son- he was born of a werewolf bloodline. I need to suppress his werewolf side," she explained.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"You must let me take yours from you, to draw energy. This will mean you will no longer be part werewolf," she explained.

"I do not want to be the creature that killed my Uncle Henrik," she replied.

"So you will consent?" she asked.

Irina nodded. "I will consent," she said.

* * *

Irina was even more confused when she saw her father, aunt, and uncles gasp and wake from their… death. She thought they were gone, so how was it they were walking and talking. Mikael had woken as well, but she was staying out of his path. He frightened her more than ever now, and she honestly didn't know what to think about her new family. Her childhood had ended when she saw him plunge his sword into Rebekah's heart- she had to grow up in an instant.

"Mother, what has happened?" Elijah asked.

Irina sat quietly, staring at Mikael as though she were expecting him to kill her as well. She listened as Esther explained what had happened, and Finn seemed to be the most upset.

"You have doomed us all, mother," he said before walking to open the door.

When he did, the sunlight poured in and everyone aside from Esther and Irina recoiled in pain. Irina quickly moved to close the door. She was about to help Esther heal them, but they didn't seem to need it. They were all healing quickly, and she was shocked.

"They are all healing, Amma!" she exclaimed.

They all looked amazed, and Esther said; "Yes, it would seem so."

Niklaus wanted to go to his daughter, but when he had tried to hug her, he could hear her blood pumping. It made his face shift, and it had scared the child. She wouldn't go near him- or Mikael, for some reason. He could only assume she had seen him kill his own children. He wanted to comfort her, but she was so frightened of him.

"There are more pressing matters to attend to," Esther said.

"Like what?" Niklaus asked.

She sighed and said; "You are all protected now, and you will live forever. However, Irina cannot be turned. She is too young. She is still vulnerable against anything that a human is, so I must do something to protect her."

"Mother, what are you speaking of?" Elijah asked.

"I am speaking of the future, Elijah. She will have a future- a healthy and happy one, without the fear of werewolves or illness like we have here," Esther replied.

"You are speaking in riddles mother. What are you planning to do with my daughter?" Niklaus asked.

"I will send her to a safe place where you will find her," she replied.

Niklaus growled. "You will do no such thing," he said.

He flashed over to where Irina was and stood protectively in front of her, ignoring the gasps of his family. They had not known they could do that, and now they were worried about what else they could possibly do.

* * *

The next morning, Esther was standing with Ayanna and Irina in the middle of the woods. She had given her children rings made of lapis lazuli to ensure their ability to walk in the sun. She had asked Niklaus to meet them there to help with a ritual. It would bind his werewolf side, but he didn't know this. He simply thought it was a ritual to stop the sun from burning them without the rings.

"Niklaus, you are finally here," she said.

"Yes, mother. Why do you need my help?" he asked.

Esther sighed and looked to Ayanna, who simply nodded in her direction. Irina was holding Ayanna's hand and Niklaus looked confused. She loved her grandmother, but now the child was looking at her distrustfully.

"Niklaus, there is something I must tell you. Drink this…" she said as she handed him a cup.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just drink it, my son," she said.

He did as she told him, because no matter how old he got, he would always respect his mother. Ayanna and Esther began chanting as Niklaus fell to the ground. He was crying out in pain, as was Irina. Her werewolf side was leaving her and her energy was draining into Esther and Ayanna. Her little body would give out soon if it did not end. Suddenly, the spell was complete, and she felt arms lift her into an embrace.

"Mother, what have you done?" Niklaus asked.

"She will be fine, Niklaus," Esther said.

Niklaus had spent the entire day trying to steer clear of Mikael's wrath. Half the village was burned to the ground, and he had already killed Esther's werewolf lover. Now, his werewolf side was suppressed.

"Niklaus give me the child," Esther said.

"No mother. You will not take her away from me- you have already taken everything else," he growled.

Ayanna went to him and took Irina from his arms. "She will be safe there Niklaus- you will see her again," she said.

"No, Ayanna. Please- you are a parent, are you not? I implore you. Do not take my child from me," he begged.

"I am sorry Niklaus, but this must be done," Esther said.

The two women held hands around Irina and began chanting. She felt odd- as though she were leaving her body.

"I will find you, Irina. I promise!" Niklaus shouted.

Suddenly, she was gone and Niklaus' humanity was left hanging in the balance.

* * *

"Holding onto something that's gone only makes a sickness inside."  
― Nora Roberts


	5. it all starts here

**A Prologue of Sorts**

* * *

Are you my family?  
Can I stay with you a while?

- Siren Song by Bat for Lashes

* * *

Sheila and Abby Bennett were sitting in the kitchen as Abby's daughter, Bonnie, napped. They were drinking their tea, when they both felt a pull from outside. It was as if something were beckoning them to go outside. They heard the whispers of the spirits, and they knew something was about to happen. They both rushed to the back door- careful not to wake Bonnie from her nap- and were shocked at what they found. There, lying on the ground was a young girl.

"What are the spirits saying mom?" Abby asked.

Sheila focused on the whispers. She couldn't make out everything they were saying, but they were saying something about the girl needing help.

_Help her… from the past… the Original daughter… safe at last…_

"We must help her, Abby," Sheila said.

Abby rushed to the girl's side and picked her up. She was lovely, and Abby wondered where she was from and how she got there. She could feel the magic radiating from the girl, and she was shocked at how powerful she was.

"Mother, she's a witch," Abby said.

Sheila closed her eyes and focused on the girl. Yes, she most definitely was a witch- a powerful one, too. The two women rushed back into the house with the child, and closed the door behind them. They took in her appearance, and became even more confused than they were before. She wore a long sleeved, ankle length, linen dress. Its color was a dull, rose pink. Where had she come from?

The child began to stir, and her eyes opened with a gasp. The two women backed up a bit, but stayed close to her. They stared into her bright blue eyes, and saw that she was frightened.

"Hello," Abby said softly.

The child jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, but she was otherwise not frightened. The whispers began again, and she closed her eyes and placed her hands over her ears.

"They will not stop speaking," the child whispered, with a strange accent.

Abby was the first to recover from the shock of the voices, and went to comfort the child. "It is okay," she said.

"What is your name child?" Sheila asked.

"I don't remember," she said.

…_Irina…_ the spirits whispered.

"Is your name Irina?" she asked.

The child thought for a moment. "It sounds… familiar," she said.

Abby looked to Sheila and said; "You can understand the spirits better than I can. Perhaps you should contact them while I clean her up."

Sheila agreed and went to contact the spirits as Bonnie was walking into the room.

* * *

Bonnie heard whispers, but she didn't know what they were. She looked around her room, but nothing looked out of place. She got up from her bed, and walked into the living room. There, she saw her mother with another girl, around the same age as she was. It confused Bonnie, and she wondered if the girl was new to the neighborhood.

"Mommy, who is this?" she asked.

Abby looked startled by her daughter's appearance, but hid it well. "This is Irina. We're going to be helping her," she said.

"What about her mommy and daddy?" Bonnie asked.

Abby hesitated before saying; "We don't know where they are right now. She will have to stay with us until we find them."

"So I get a sister?" Bonnie asked.

Abby thought for a moment. All witches considered each other sisters, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that they were. "Yes, I guess you could say that," she said.

"Her clothes are dirty, mommy. Can she wear some of mine?" Bonnie asked.

"That's very kind of you Bonnie. Let's get her cleaned up, shall we?" Abby asked as she led Irina to the bathroom to help her wash and change her clothes.

* * *

Sheila was meditating, and waiting for contact from the spirits. She concentrated immensely, and was ecstatic when they returned her contact.

…_Sheila Bennett, descendent of Ayanna, you must help this child…_

"Where did she come from?" Sheila asked.

…_She is from a time long passed. She was sent to the future to ensure her safety. She is one of us…_

"What family line does she come from?" she replied.

…_the Original family. She is to have no memory of her past life until the Original witch sees fit to return them…_

"What should I do?" Sheila asked.

…_You and Abby shall raise her as your own. If there are any obstacles, we shall assist you…_

"Thank you, sisters," she said before breaking her meditation and returning to Abby and Irina.

* * *

Sheila returned to find Bonnie awake and speaking with Irina. They seemed to be having an actual, intelligent conversation. Sheila was used to seeing children speaking nonsense and playing make-believe, but they were actually holding conversation like adults. Abby was watching them with a smile on her face.

"What is this?" Sheila asked.

Abby smiled at her mother and said; "She seems to have warmed right up to Bonnie. She is telling her whatever she wants to know."

Sheila sat and listened to the girls having their conversation.

"_So, where did you live before now?" Bonnie asked._

_Irina thought for a moment, but then she sighed. "I don't remember," she said._

"_Do you remember your parents?" Bonnie asked._

"_No, but I think I remember my mother a little. I think she died when I was younger," Irina said._

_Bonnie looked sad for a moment, but then smiled at her new friend. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked._

"_I don't think so," Irina replied _

"_So you really don't remember anything?" Bonnie asked._

_The girl thought for a moment, and then she seemed to realize something. "I remember, my mother gave me this," she said, pulling at her locket. _

Abby and Sheila stood to look at the locket. It was a beautiful gold locket, with a large onyx stone in the middle. There was clearly power emanating from it, and when they touched the pendant, it zapped them.

"She has her own talisman," Sheila muttered.

"I didn't mean for it to shock you. I don't even know how it happened," she said.

There was a knock on the door before Rudy opened it to enter. The daylight was waning quickly, and Abby had to explain this to him. He didn't like hearing about magic and Abby's abilities- he wanted to keep Bonnie out of that stuff. But, he could tell when she was serious about something, and he would go along with it.

Sheila told Bonnie to take Irina in her room to play, and they led Rudy into the kitchen to explain the situation. At first, he didn't understand how the girl had gotten here through time, but he did agree that they should help her. He had a soft spot for children, and he wanted to help the girl who had no family or memories.

"So, what should we do?" Abby asked Sheila.

"We have to help her… I mean, we could raise her with Bonnie. They're the same age, and Bonnie would like having a sister," Rudy said.

"It's settled then," Sheila said, "we help her."

* * *

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

- Desmond Tutu


	6. the masquerade

_I didn't have time to read this through, so I hope there are no mistakes. :)_

* * *

Hey young blood  
Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?  
I'm gonna change you like a remix  
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix

- The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy

* * *

Irina had just helped Bonnie beat Katherine at the Lockwood's masquerade and she was exhausted. She was going to give Elena a lift home, but her friend left after Irina got cornered by Mrs. Lockwood. She loved Tyler dearly, but his mother was worse than Caroline when it came to talking. She finally got away and ran to catch up with Elena, but she was gone. The weird thing was that her car was still there.

"That's strange…" she muttered to herself as she bent down to pick up Elena's keys from beside her car.

It was clear that Elena had been taken, but she didn't know by whom. She closed her eyes and did what Grams taught her to do- she let her feelings guide her. She could sense that Elena had been here, but there was another human as well. So it wasn't a vampire that had taken her. She could still feel their vibe, so she ran to her car to grab a map from the back seat.

"Okay okay, you had better work…" she mumbled under her breath.

She remembered then that she didn't have Elena's blood or any other type of DNA. She thought for a moment and then ran to Elena's car. She opened the door and looked on the headrest. _Bingo…_ she thought as she pulled a hair from the seat. She closed the door as carefully as she could and ran back to her vehicle. She placed the hair by the map and cut her hand so some of her blood could drip onto the map, before muttering in Latin.

The blood began to move along the interstate line, and it was headed toward a small, secluded town about three hours away. She would make a safe bet that it is where this person took Elena, so she hopped in her car and began driving. She moved the map to the front seat for easy access whenever she needed it. She started her car and tried her best not to peel out of the gravel driveway.

* * *

She didn't realize it had been so late when she left the party, and it was almost three in the morning when she arrived to a gas station. She started her chanting again, and the blood moved to the town she was in, and she breathed a sigh of relief- she had been right. She folded the map and got out to pump her gas. She never would understand why someone would need a twenty-four hour gas station, but she was happy for it today; she seriously needed to get _something_ to eat.

She entered the gas station, and was immediately disgusted by the man behind the counter. He had beady little eyes that followed her throughout the store. All she needed to do was go use the bathroom, get something to eat and a Coke, and be on her way- she honestly hoped she wouldn't have to waste her magic on this guy. She came out of the restroom and made her way to the drink machine.

"Those don't work darlin'" the man behind the counter said.

She rolled her eyes. _Of course they wouldn't. _She made her way to the cooler and opened the door. She bent down to get the Coke from the bottom, and when she stood to close the door the clerk was standing right beside her. She jumped and brought her hand to her chest.

"You startled me," she breathed.

"Sorry about that darlin'. So, what's a pretty little thing like you doing out at three a.m. all dressed up?" he asked.

She looked down at her dress and realized she was still wearing her outfit from the masquerade. It was a burgundy lace dress that left little to the imagination, and her black pumps made it seem like her legs went on for miles. No wonder the man was paying her so much unwanted attention- she was dressed like a complete prostitute.

"I'm just getting a bite to eat," she said.

"Hmm... You know, I could go for a bite to eat as well," he said as his face shifted.

She backed away and glared at him. His hands flew to the sides of his head and he cried out in pain. "What are you doing to me?" he asked.

"Oh, you must be new," she quipped.

She relented but kept a dull ache in his head. He was able to stand using the counter for support. "How did you do that?" he asked- out of breath.

"How long have you been this way?" she asked.

"Twenty years," he replied.

She was stunned- Caroline had more self-control than this freak. "Wow… you really are new," she said.

"How did you do that?" he growled.

She shrugged and made her way to the chips. She grabbed a bag of Salt-N-Vinegar chips and a candy bar before making her way to the counter. "Since you're new, I'll let your little stunt go with a warning. I am a very powerful witch- I won't hesitate to take you down, do you understand me?" she asked as the man rounded the counter to scan her items.

"I'd like to see you try witchy," he said.

She was really beginning to hate this guy. She gave him a ten to pay for her items and as he handed her the change, she grabbed his hand with as much force as she could. As she spoke she concentrated on what she wanted to do.

"If you threaten me again, I will kill you…" she began as the grey color began making its way up his arm. His eyes widened and he began to look panicked.

"Yes, yes… I understand, just… please stop!" he exclaimed.

She smirked and removed her hand before pocketing her change. "Very good. You've just learned your first lesson- just because you're a vampire doesn't make you invincible… got it?" she asked.

He nodded and she made her way back to her car. It was very late, and she was exhausted. If she didn't get some sleep she would be completely drained by the time she needed to use her magic. She pulled out of the gas station and made her way to a secluded area. It needed to be somewhere with tree cover and it couldn't have a lot of people frequenting the area.

She found an abandoned warehouse. It didn't have many trees, but it was as close as she would ever get. She pulled her car to the furthest and darkest corner of the parking lot and began chanting. She would shield her car from any wandering eyes that might see it. She opened the food and began drinking her Coke. After she had eaten, she set her phone alarm, leaned her seat back, and closed her eyes. This was going to be a long and restless night.

* * *

Irina's phone alarm woke her up at around noon, and she stretched her arms above her head. She honestly wished that gas stations sold clothing because she was freezing right now. She turned the heaters on in the car and warmed herself up before pulling up a map of the area on her phone. She zoomed in on her location and began searching around it. It looked like the only 'house' was about ten minutes outside of the actual town limits. It was secluded, and in the satellite image it looked pretty rundown.

She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and checked her makeup in the mirror- it wasn't too bad. She began driving to the rundown mansion when her eyes caught something on the side of the road. She pulled over and saw a man lying there- obviously dead. She rolled her eyes and continued on her way. Elena had definitely been there, so she was on the right track. She pulled up close to the house but didn't actually pull into the driveway. Whoever had her now was most definitely a vampire, and they'd be able to hear her coming from a mile away.

She remembered a spell that would keep any sound she made quiet enough that any vampires wouldn't hear her, and she used it as she approached from the woods. She just hoped that they didn't look out any windows, because the spell didn't protect from being seen. She made her way around the mansion, looking in any window she could. Finally, when she had given up all hope of Elena being in the stupid mansion, she saw her on a couch in what looked to be a den. She was elated, but kept her peace. There was a male vampire with her and he would have taken a bit out of her if it hadn't been for the woman who stopped him.

Elena was asking the woman who she was and what she wanted, and Irina had to restrain herself from giving the vampire a headache when she saw her smack Elena backwards. She had to repeat a mantra in her mind that she had to wait for the opportune moment to enter the mansion. She would need a plan if she were to enter undetected. She looked at the two windows that led to the room Elena was in. One had a bookshelf underneath it, and the other had nothing underneath it- she would need to use that one.

The two vampires left and Irina saw her chance to enter the premises. She carefully opened the window and heaved herself inside. She waited for a moment to ensure that the vampires hadn't heard her before making her way to where Elena was on the couch. She positioned her friend so that Elena's head was in her lap, and began chanting quietly to heal her face. Something about the spell always felt so familiar, but she always shook it off as no big deal.

A few minutes later, Elena startled awake and noticed Irina. Her eyes got wide and she began to sit up. Irina placed her hand on Elena's shoulder, and put the other one up to her mouth in a signal to stay quiet. Elena nodded and Irina helped her sit up. They listened as they heard the vampires speaking.

"How's the girl?" the woman asked.

"Still passed out," the male vampire answered.

Irina looked to Elena and mouthed _names?_ Elena, who was thankful for the sign language classes she was forced to take in middle school, signed _R-O-S-E _ and _T-R-E-V-O-R._

"You didn't touch her did you?" Rose asked.

"Give me some credit," he replied- which caused Irina to roll her eyes. "So you called him?"

"No, I called one of his contacts. You know how this works," she replied.

Trevor sighed. "Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?" he asked.

Their conversation continued as Elena and Irina snuck up the stairs. Elena motioned for Irina to stay hidden, and she did so, but she never took her eye off of Elena. Elena began moving down the hallway toward where the vampires were chatting. They kept saying that they were running, and someone named Elijah was after them. Elena moved her foot, but a board creaked under the weight.

"You!" Rose said. "There is nothing around her for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong, understand?"

Irina moved her hand to put a shield of sorts between Elena and Rose before walking into their line of sight. "I seemed to find it easy enough," she quipped.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"I'm her witch… it's a pleasure," she replied.

Rose went to grab Elena, but the shield wouldn't let her. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's a shield. I won't have a need for it if you will agree to speak with us peacefully," she said.

"You have nothing to bargain with," Rose replied.

Irina scoffed. "I have Elena. I could have taken her out of her minutes ago, and you would have been none the wiser," she said.

Trevor had come to stand behind Rose at this point- Irina didn't really know what to make of him. He seemed… odd. "Then why haven't you?" he asked.

"I'm a curious person and I wanted to know why you took her. Obviously it has something to do with Elijah," she replied.

"So who's Elijah?" Elena asked.

"He's your worst nightmare," Rose replied before returning to the other room.

* * *

Irina and Elena had been behind the shield for hours before they finally got Rose and Trevor to agree to leave them alive. It was, however, after several headaches and sunburns from Irina. They had underestimated her before, but now they wouldn't. They still wouldn't open up about Elijah, though.

"Why am I here?" Elena asked.

"You keep asking me these questions as though I'm going to answer them," Rose replied.

"Why won't you?" Irina replied.

"There's another one," she said.

Irina sighed and stood from the chair she had been lounging on. Rose was working on blocking all the sunlight from entering the room, and Irina was getting annoyed with how she was constantly moving back and forth. It was almost worse than someone pacing. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and the windows began to turn black.

"How did you do that?" Rose asked.

"This house is old and there is lead in pretty much anything, so I just gathered it all from the paint onto the glass," she replied.

"Oh… well, thank you," Rose said.

Irina nodded before saying; "You got us and we're not going anywhere without answers, okay? You obviously want this Elijah guy to meet Elena, but I want to know why."

"Trevor and I have been running for over five-hundred years. Elena is our bargaining chip," she replied.

"Of course," Elena muttered.

"But why her?" Irina asked. "Why is Elena always the bargaining chip?"

"She's a Petrova doppelgänger," Rose said. "She's the key to breaking the curse."

"Curse?" Elena said.

Suddenly it all clicked for Irina. "The sun and moon curse," she breathed.

"So you _do_ know your history," she said.

"What do you mean I'm the key? The moonstone's what breaks the curse," Elena replied.

"No. The moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it," Rose replied.

Irina's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Sacrifice?" she asked.

"The blood of the doppelgänger- you're the doppelgänger. Which means in order to break the curse, you have to die," Rose explained.

The two girls just looked at each other and Irina could see the fear in Elena's eyes. "That's why you brought her here?" she asked.

"If you want to see it that way, yes. I personally don't care if the curse is broken or not- I simply want my freedom," Rose explained.

"Well if you think I'm letting her meet Elijah now you're out of your mind," Irina said.

Rose was about to say something when Elena said; "Wait!"

Irina and Rose looked at Elena, and she said; "They've been running for five-hundred years, and obviously Katherine had something to do with it. We can't just let them keep running, Irina. That wouldn't be fair."

"Elena, do you have no self-preservation whatsoever?" Irina asked.

"We'll figure it out when he gets here, okay?" Elena said.

Irina sighed. "Fine, it's your life at stake," she replied as they both walked back to the area where Elena was originally brought.

* * *

They were sitting on the couch and pretending to read when Irina felt the tingle of magic nearby. She sat up straight and looked around, which caused Elena to do the same. When Elena moved, a piece of paper crackled under her shoe. When she opened it, her face became bright and hopeful. Irina reached for the paper and read what it said.

_Stefan and Damon are on their way. –B_

Irina smiled and crumpled the paper before letting it burn in her hand. As the last of the ashes fell to the floor, Trevor came running down the stairs saying; "He's here. This was a mistake."

"I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me," Rose replied.

"No! He wants me dead, Rose!" Trevor shouted.

"He wants her more!" Rose exclaimed.

Trevor was panting by this point. "I can't do this. You give her to him- he'll show mercy on you, but I need to get out of here," he said.

"Hey! What are we?" Rose asked.

Trevor sighed. "We're family. Forever," he replied.

She nodded as someone began pounding on the door. She told Trevor to stay with the girls and she ran to meet Elijah.

* * *

Elena had risen from the couch and began pacing around. Irina could tell she was nervous- and perhaps she had every right to be. If there was one thing Irina hated it was pacing, so she stood and made her way to Elena. She was aware of Trevor's eyes on them, but she wasn't worried about him at the moment. She took Elena's hands in her own and looked the girl in the eyes.

"Elena, stop pacing," she said.

"I'm sorry, I'm just… nervous," Elena replied.

Irina managed a small but tense smile. "I will make sure you remain safe, okay?" she asked.

"So can you kill an Original with your magic?" Elena asked.

"No. I had come across entries about them in my grimoires, and they all say that the amount of magic required would kill even the strongest witch. Maybe if I had Bonnie here, but not by myself," she replied.

They heard footsteps approaching them, and Irina turned to face the staircase. She never let go of Elena's hand, and she could practically feel her friend's nerves. They saw Rose enter first, followed by a man in a suit. His hair was slightly long and fell just above his eyebrows. When she looked at his face she had the incredible sense of déjà vu- like she had seen him before. He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at Elena for a moment before flashing to where the girls stood.

He leaned down toward Elena, and for a moment Irina thought he was going to kiss her. Instead of meeting his lips with hers, his head moved down a bit before smelling her neck. After inhaling the scent he stood and said; "Human… it's impossible."

He turned to Irina and gave an amused look. "Hello there," he said.

"Hello," Irina replied.

"And who might you be? Rose did not say anything about a guest," he said.

Irina nodded before saying; "I was unexpected. I'm her witch."

"I see, and what is your name?" he asked.

"I'm Irina," she replied.

She could have sworn that something sparked in his eyes when she told him her name, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He looked to her necklace and then back into her eyes. "Very well then," he said before taking a small step back and focusing on Elena again.

"Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going," he said.

"Please, don't let him take me," Elena said to Rose. The female vampire simply looked at the floor.

"One last piece of business; then we're done," Elijah said before turning to Trevor.

The other vampire stood still while Elijah walked toward him. "I have waited so long for this day, Elijah," he said. "I'm truly, very sorry."

"Oh no, your apology's aren't necessary," Elijah replied.

Trevor nodded. "Yes. Yes it is," he began. "You trusted me with Katerina, and I failed you."

"Oh, yes. You are the guilty one. Rose aided you because she was loyal to you- that I honor. Where was your loyalty?" Elijah asked.

"I beg your forgiveness," Trevor stated.

"So granted," Elijah replied.

Irina heard his words, and she could sense that he wasn't lying, but she knew that something was off. It was more like a half-truth. She watched in horror and gasped as Elijah reared his hand back and severed Trevor's head from his body. Rose gasped and began sobbing as the shock of what just happened hit her.

"You-" she said.

"Don't Rose… he'll kill you," Irina reasoned.

"It would be wise of you to listen to Elena's pet witch… don't get on my bad side now that you are free," Elijah stated.

Irina rolled her eyes and scoffed. She was nobody's pet. Elijah was walking towards them, and Elena looked like she was about to have a meltdown.

"Come," he stated.

* * *

"Weeping is not the same thing as crying. It takes your whole body to weep, and when it's over, you feel like you don't have any bones left to hold you up."  
― Sarah Ockler


	7. samson

_Thanks for reading! :D_

* * *

I'll return from darkness and will save your precious skin  
I will end your suffering and let the healing light come in  
Sent by forces beyond salvation  
There can be not one sensation

- World on Fire by Les Friction

* * *

"_Come," he stated._

They needed more time- Damon and Stefan had to get here and kill Elijah. She filtered her brain for any information she could use to buy them time. When she spoke her voice betrayed her fear, but what do you expect after seeing someone decapitate a man in front of your eyes.

"No, what about the moonstone?" Elena asked.

Irina's eyes widened and she squeezed Elena's hand slightly. "What do you know about the moonstone?" Elijah asked.

"Elena… don't," Irina muttered.

"I know that you need it, and I know where it is," she said.

"Yes," Elijah stated as if expecting her to answer.

Elena was still shaking. "I can help you get it," she said.

"Tell me where it is," he ordered.

Irina shook her head. "It doesn't work that way," she stated.

Elijah sighed. "Are you negotiating with me?" he asked as he turned to look at Rose, who claimed it was the first she had heard of it.

Elijah turned to look at Elena again, and stared at her eyes. Irina figured he was trying to compel her, but Elena was still wearing her necklace, so it wouldn't work.

"What is this vervain doing around your neck?" he asked as he ripped her necklace from her.

He forced her to look at him, and then compelled her. "Where is the moonstone?" he asked.

"It's in the tomb underneath the church ruins," she said in a trance.

"What is it doing there?" he asked.

"It's with Katherine," she said.

"Interesting…" he said.

They heard glass shatter and the compulsion between him and Elena was broken. "What is that?" he asked.

"I don't know," Rose replied.

"Who else is in this house?" he asked.

"I don't know," Rose said.

He turned to Irina and Elena and grabbed them both by the arm, taking them up the stairs. When they arrived at the top landing, they stood while things flashed around them. Irina couldn't see who it was, and she didn't need to. She had a pretty good idea of who was there to save the day. They got Elijah to run up the stairs and distracted him while Damon and Stefan flashed the three girls out of the foyer.

Damon was with Rose and Irina, and she assumed that Stefan had taken Elena. Irina didn't particularly like Damon, but he was good at rescue missions, so she got over it. They heard Elijah speaking to them, and it frightened Irina. She had been reading up on the Originals, and she knew they couldn't be killed.

"To Whom It May Concern- if you're looking to kill me, you can't. So I want both Elena _and_ Irina on the count of three, or heads will roll," he commanded.

Irina furrowed her brow, and her heart rate sped up. What could he possibly want with her? She looked to Damon who was trying to calm her with that look of his. She stood still next to Rose and closed her eyes to calm herself as Damon left.

"Do we understand each other?" he asked.

She heard Elena say; "I come with you. Just, please don't hurt my friends. They were just trying to help me out."

"Where is Irina?" he asked.

Irina moved to stand beside her friend, and she saw the silver of the vervain grenade poking from underneath her arm.

"What game are you playing?" he asked.

Elena didn't say anything- instead she removed the pin from the grenade and threw it at him, causing it to burn his face with the vervain liquid. He yelled out in pain, but began healing quickly. He was making his way up the stairs towards Elena, and Irina began giving him the worst headache she could manage. She saw his eyes begin to roll back in his head, but he kept advancing. She concentrated more until Stefan began shooting at him with wooden bullets. She knew that no matter what they did, he would not die- he was an Original.

She watched in horror as Damon ran him through with a banister and left him hanging on the door. She had to get them out of here before Elijah woke up. She realized that this was the perfect opportunity to get answers, so she told Stefan and Damon to take Elena home and clean her up, and she would take care of Elijah. After arguing with Damon for a few minutes they finally agreed.

She ran to pull her car around. She didn't know exactly how long she had before he woke up, but she wasn't taking any chances. She pulled the car around and opened the back passenger side door. She ran through the front of the house, and removed the banister from Elijah's chest before catching him as he fell to the ground. He was heavier than she was expecting, but she was eventually able to gather enough energy to at least drag him out to the car.

She managed to get him into the back seat, and then began regretting her decision, since she kept looking in her rearview mirror to make sure he wasn't awake. She knew she'd never make it three hours, and she honestly didn't want to bring him all the way back to Mystic Falls, so she decided to find a hotel. The closest thing she found to a decent hotel was a Hampton Inn, and she pulled into the parking lot. She spelled the car so that even if he woke, he wouldn't be able get out.

She went to get a room key, and then came back out to escort Elijah to their room on the third floor. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss whoever created elevators. The manager saw her struggling to carry Elijah and came to help, but she told him she was fine. She didn't want to explain the grey skin. It had only been an hour, and Elijah still hadn't woken up. She didn't know how long he was supposed to stay out like that, but she didn't want to take any chances.

She had been sitting on the chair across from the bed for thirty minutes before her stomach began rumbling. She also felt quite filthy, and she needed a shower. She knew she had clothes in her cheerleading bag, but she didn't want to leave him alone. After a few more minutes of her inner battle, she placed a shield around the bed that would prevent him from leaving it should he wake in her absence, and then she ran to grab her bag from the car.

When she returned she expected him to be awake, and furious, but he was still grey and sleeping. She sighed and went to shower. It was quite possibly the quickest shower she had ever taken in her life. She got out and dried off before putting on the clothes from her cheerleading bag. They were exercise clothes, and they weren't what she would call 'appropriate' for a situation such as this. She honestly felt underdressed after seeing him in his suit, but she would just have to put up with it. She braided her wet hair to the side and left the bathroom.

She entered the other room as silently as she could, and saw that Elijah was _still_ out cold. "Seriously…" she muttered. She sighed and pulled up her Kindle app on her phone to finish reading Pride and Prejudice and took a bite out of the green apple she took from the lobby.

* * *

Hearing was the first sense that came back to Elijah. He could hear someone humming a tune that he had heard many times before, and it was accompanied by the sound of chewing and the rhythmic thumping of a human heart. The next sense to come back to him was the sense of smell, and that brought with it the smell of wet, shampooed hair and the scent of green apples. Apparently that's what the singing girl was munching on. He could also smell the fragrance of her blood- it was spiked with power, yet sweet at the same time. She was a paradox.

The next thing to return was his sight. His eyes opened and his skin began to return to its normal color. She was so enthralled with her phone that she didn't even notice. He shifted his head ever so slightly to look at her. She looked so much like her mother it was eerie. She had her mother's beautiful chocolate colored locks, and her father's lightly tanned skin. Her hair was braided to the side as her mothers had always been. There was no denying that she was Irina- his niece, the one thing he and Niklaus had agreed upon searching for above all else.

She had finished her apple- green, as always- and tossed the core in the bin. She must have sensed his eyes on her, because she stiffened and turned her head to look at him. He wanted to gasp at the intensity of her eyes- so much like Niklaus' had been as a human. He cleared his throat and sat up.

"Please, don't stop singing on my account," he stated.

She blushed and looked at her phone before turning it off and placing it on the desk beside her. She turned back to him, and he felt like he needed to give her his suit jacket- her outfit was completely inappropriate. He refrained from doing so, though. No need to act like a protective uncle when she didn't even remember him. He needed to discern how much she remembered- if she remembered anything at all. He knew she remembered the lullaby her mother sang for her, as she had just been singing it. That's one thing that always entranced Elijah about Aoife- she could speak a language that was so… different.

"What was the song you were singing?" he asked.

"I don't know the name, I just remember the tune," she replied quietly.

He nodded and went to sit on the edge of the bed, and he noticed how she flinched from him. His heart ached to see his own niece thinking he would harm her.

"So, why am I here?" he asked.

She sighed. "Well, I didn't think you'd like it if you remained impaled to a door in a dilapidated mansion," she said.

He managed a smirk, and said; "I suppose you're correct." She definitely had fire, that's for sure. "Perhaps I should rephrase. Why did you bring my body here if you thought I was dead?"

"I was skimming through my grimoires the other night out of boredom, and I came across something about _The Originals_. All it said was that they couldn't be killed by a normal stake. It didn't say what kind it had to be, but I figured it wouldn't be a random cherry oak banister," she quipped.

He smirked at her. "Very true. And where is the lovely Elena?" he asked.

"That's why I brought you here. I want to talk- negotiate, bargain, or whatever you want. I am here to ensure the safety of my best friend. My loyalties have, and always will, lie with my friends," she said.

"That is noble of you, and I respect that. What about your family?" he asked.

She looked down, and the look on her face made Elijah wish he hadn't brought it up. "They are my family. Elena, Bonnie, Caroline… they're my sisters. I have the means, so I have to do everything I can to protect them," she said.

He nodded as though he understood, and then his eyes fell on her necklace. "That's a lovely trinket you wear. Where did you get it?" he asked.

"I've had it for as long as I can remember, but can we please speak of different matters?" she stated.

"Very well; my goal was also to keep Elena safe," he said.

She drew her eyebrows together in confusion, and said; "I don't understand. Why take her at all if you want to keep her safe?"

"Elena is the Petrova doppelgänger. There is someone out there who is more fearsome that any other vampire, and he needs her. The people who fear him are desperate to be in his good graces, and therefore would jump at any opportunity to deliver her to him," Elijah explained.

"And you don't want that? You're a vampire- why wouldn't you want the sun-and-moon curse broken?" she asked.

He hesitated. "Let's just say that my goal isn't to have her sacrificed, and leave it at that for the time being," he stated.

She stared him down for a moment before breaking her gaze. "Very well- on to topic number two. Why did you want me to come along with Elena?" she asked.

He sighed and looked past her to the painting that hung on the wall. He knew this question would come up at some point, but he was hoping it would be after she had gotten her memories back. He didn't know how it would happen, but something was supposed to trigger her memories. He just needed to find out what that was.

"How much do you know of your history?" he asked.

She stiffened, and he could tell that this wasn't something she was comfortable speaking about. "I know very little of the first five years of my life," she stated.

"Tell me what you remember," he said.

She sighed. "It's not really 'memories'. Like, they are, but it isn't like the memories I have of my life in Mystic Falls. They aren't clear, and I don't know faces or names. Sometimes I'll see something and get the incredible feeling of déjà vu. Even when I saw you at the mansion- I got a feeling that I had met you before, but I know that I haven't," she explained.

She paused for a breath, and he said; "Continue."

"Okay," she began, "so let's start with my necklace. I have had it since the day Grams and Abby found me, and took me in to raise as their own. On the back is my name, and I can read it. It's carved in strange runic letters, but I know what they say. I've even looked up things on the internet, and I can read them all. It's seriously creepy."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, it isn't. There are also tunes and melodies in another language that I understand, but I don't know what that language is. It isn't Latin- which I learned from another witch, I presume. Every witch has to know Latin, of course. But it's… different. Sometimes, I'll just start singing the songs and I have no clue how I know them," she said.

He nodded for her to continue, but she said that was all. "I am forbidden from telling you anything of significance until you get your memories back completely," he said.

"Get them back? Were they taken?" she asked.

He nodded and said; "They were taken by another witch. We don't know how you get them back, but that it will happen when it happens," he said.

"What do you mean we- and how do you even know this?" she asked.

He sighed. "I knew your mother," he said.

She sat up from her slouched position and looked him straight in the eye. "You're not lying, I can sense it…" she breathed.

She can sense when people are lying- just like Rebekah. "No, I'm not. I did know your mother- we were good friends. She was much like a sister to me," he said.

She looked confused, but didn't comment on the last bit. Instead, she said; "What was her name?"

"I'm afraid I have been forbidden from saying anything," he said.

Her mouth fell open, and he saw annoyance flash in her eyes- and expression that was so much like Niklaus'. "You can't just drop a bomb on me like that and then leave me hanging!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but I gave my word," he said.

"You said you couldn't give me anything of significance. If she isn't alive anymore, I doubt it would be of significance," she snapped.

He was taken aback by her tone. "I would advise you to watch your tone. I am still much older than you, and I will be respected. You will learn what I allow you to learn- is that understood?" he said.

Sadness filled her eyes and she looked to her hands that were clasped in her lap. "Fine," she said quietly; so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"How do you know she is dead?" Elijah asked.

She never looked up, but he could hear her anyway. "Ever since I was found by the Bennett's, I have had a dream that reoccurs every so often. Every time I have the dream, I am in a foul mood for the rest of the day because it's so sad. It's me speaking to a woman who is dying, and she looks so much like me, but… different. I always assumed it was my mother, or a sister, or an aunt- someone related to me," she explained.

She had remembered her mother's death. He could tell her because technically she remembered a little. He had to use all of his strength to not pull her into an embrace as he did when she was a child. He stood and walked to the window- it was dark outside, and the view wasn't anything special, so he turned his gaze back to his niece. "Her name was Aoife. She was perfectly normal; completely human," he said.

Irina's eyes were the size of saucers, and they looked like they could fill with tears at any moment. "What was she like?" she asked.

He smiled. "I cannot say much, but you could see a resemblance in the mirror. I thought you were her for a moment when I walked into the mansion.

"What made you realize it wasn't her?" Irina asked.

"Your eyes are blue, and hers were hazel. Also, you have your necklace- hers was completely different," he stated.

"What else can you tell me about her?" she asked.

What else could he say without betraying his part in her childhood- she couldn't know that information just yet. "She loved you, more than anything in the world. She protected you with her life- you were her whole world," he said.

She nodded as tears filled her eyes, but she held them back. "What about my father?" she asked.

"I cannot say anything about your father- I'm sorry," he said.

She nodded and stood up. "Very well- I understand. So, back to our other topic- Elena. What are you planning to do about the Salvatore brothers? They will protect her with their lives," she said.

"Is that really true? Do they foolishly love her that much?" he asked.

"You think love is foolish?" Irina replied.

He did not reply to her question, but instead said; "If they love her as much as you claim, then I will need to do nothing. I will simply watch from a distance until it is time for her to play her role."

* * *

"I realise now that I wanted to disappear. To get so lost that nobody ever found me. To go so far away that I'd never be able to make my way home again. But I have no idea why."  
― Jessica Warman


	8. pockets full of stones

_Thanks for reading, everyone! _

* * *

When I need help  
Can't call for help  
'Cause no one comes

- Fire by Delta Rae

* * *

"_Come out, come out wherever you are!" the woman said in her melodic voice. _

_A three-year-old Irina stifled a giggle as she hid behind a large tree. She was hiding from the woman, but it wasn't out of fear. It was as if they were playing hide-and-seek, which made sense considering how old Irina was. The woman kept creeping around the field, trying her best to find the young Irina. _

"_Where are you my darlin'?" the sweet woman called._

_Irina giggled, and the woman turned to smile in the direction of the tree. "I think I heard a giggle- I wonder what it could have been…" she said. _

_Irina giggled again, but this time her hand was over her mouth to stifle the sound. The happiness in her eyes was clear for all to see. She turned to peek around the tree, but the woman wasn't there anymore. She furrowed her brow, and was about to move from her hiding spot, when two arms encircled her and pulled her off the ground. She squealed and giggled as she turned to face the woman. _

_Her eyes were kind and happy, and they were filled with the same joy that Irina's were. "I found you, wee one," she said._

"_Aye, you did," Irina replied. She had the same accent she did when the Bennett's found her- the accent that had faded over time, but sometimes slipped up every now-and-then. _

"_But you almost won, my dear- you always know the best places to hide," the woman complimented. _

"_Aye," she said with a giggle. She noticed the woman's necklace, and tried reading what it said, but the words were too small. "What does this say?" she asked._

"_It says; 'May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.' It's what my parents wished for me," she stated. _

"_What do you and papa wish for me?" Irina asked. So this must be her mother! _

_The woman smiled at her, and it was one of the most beautiful things Irina had ever seen. Her eyes were filled with love, and it looked like she cherished the little girl with her entire being. _

"_I cannot speak for your father, but I can tell you what I wish for you," she began. "I wish for you a lifetime of happiness. I hope that everything you do brings you joy, and I hope that you find everything your heart desires. I wish you a love that never ends- plenty of wealth, and plenty of friends. I hope that good health is always with you, and that God will send you happiness in whatever you do."_

"_I love you momma," Irina said._

_The woman smiled, and said; "I love you too, my sweet darlin- more than you could ever imagine."_

* * *

Irina woke with a gasp, and she immediately felt the tears coming to her eyes. She got up and got dressed for school, trying her hardest not to cry. She had just remembered a moment with her mother- but how? She entered the kitchen where Bonnie was fixing herself a bowl of cereal, but stopped when she noticed her sister's tears.

"Irina… honey, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Um, nothing- it's nothing," Irina replied.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the subject. Instead she sat down at the table with her bowl, and Irina joined her at the table with an apple in her hand. She had to tell Bonnie- the girl was her sister, for goodness sake. "Bonnie, do you remember how I told you once about a recurring dream of mine?" she asked.

"The one about the woman dying?" she asked as she brought the spoon to her mouth.

Irina nodded. "Yeah, that one. Well, I had another dream, only she was perfectly healthy. I was about three years old, give or take a year, and I still had my accent," she said.

Bonnie grinned at the mention of Irina's accent. She had thought it was so cool when they were little, but over time it faded, and she sounded like a normal American girl. "So, why the tears?" she asked.

"I… I called her momma," Irina said.

Bonnie's eyes widened, and she said; "Really? Do you think you're starting to remember your life before you were found?"

"I'm not sure, but I felt safe in the dream," she said.

Bonnie smiled at her sister as she got up to go to the car, before they were late for school.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina were talking to Luka in the courtyard outside the school. Irina was in a pretty good mood, despite the dream she had. It was autumn- her favorite time of the year. The leaves were falling, and it made everything look so pretty.

"So, you're like… new?" Luka said to Bonnie.

"New-ish," she said.

"She still has some growing pains," Irina stated, which made Bonnie roll her eyes.

"Like?" Luka asked.

Bonnie sighed. "Physically, it's become a lot harder. I have a bad reaction sometimes," she said.

"Your nose bleeds?" he asked.

"And she passes out sometimes," Irina supplied.

They stopped walking, and Luka looked to Bonnie. "It's 'cause you're trying to do too much on your own. You need help," he said.

Irina could see she wasn't needed in the conversation anymore, so she decided to bow out gracefully. "So, I think I'm gonna go talk to Jeremy," she said.

* * *

Jeremy was standing by his car when Irina approached him. "Hey stranger," she said.

"Oh, hey Irina," he replied.

"So, what's got you in such a good mood?" she asked.

He just grinned and looked down. "It's nothing. So, you and the new kid, huh?" he asked.

"Seriously? No, not even close," Irina replied.

"Why not- you look like you get along well," he replied.

"Yeah, as friends. I don't know- he just doesn't seem like my type. However, he is Bonnie's type," she said as the wind picked up around them. Irina just giggled.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked.

"They're channeling each other," Irina replied with a smile on her face.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

She sighed- sometimes it wasn't cool hanging out with people who didn't get it. "It gives a witch more power," she replied.

They walked over as Bonnie and Luka's little witch show ended, and Irina smiled at her sister. "That was some interesting weather," she said.

"Global warming, man… I don't know," Luka quipped, which made Irina and Bonnie giggle.

He told the sisters that he'd see them later, and ran to his next class. They both looked after them with smiles on their faces. Jeremy raised an eyebrow and said; "That's guy's pretty weird huh?"

"No he isn't," the girls said at the same time.

They were about to say something else when their phones buzzed at the same time, alerting them to a new text message.

_Meet at the Boarding House- now. _

"Who's that?" Jeremy asked.

"It's Damon," they replied.

* * *

They arrived at the boarding house with Jeremy in tow. Apparently he was their bodyguard now, and Irina wondered what his deal was. The Salvatore brothers were trying to find a way to get the moonstone from Katherine.

"We might be able to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and get the moonstone from Katherine," Bonnie explained.

"How? It took both you and your grams to lower the spell last time, and look what happened to her," Jeremy stated.

Irina looked down and sighed. "We're well aware of what happened Jeremy," she snapped.

"Besides, we've learned a few new things," Bonnie said.

"Bonnie…" Jeremy began.

They ignored him, and turned their attention back to the vampires in the room. "How will you get it?" Irina asked.

"She hasn't been feeding- she's weaker. We're not," Stefan explained.

"You wouldn't be underestimating her would you?" Bonnie asked.

"It's a plan," Damon began. "Is it perfect? Pfft; what plan is?"

"Let me do it," Jeremy said. "I've got my ring. I can get in, get out… no spells necessary."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks, you sixteen year old child. Why didn't we think of that? Why are you even here?" he asked.

Irina rolled her eyes and thought of a way to diffuse the situation. She had been reading nonstop in different grimoires for days, so she should have something filed away in her mind. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Maybe I can help better the plan," Irina suggested. "Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?"

* * *

Stefan came back with a picture of sorts in his hands. It was very old- one of those pictures from the civil war era.

"This belonged to Katherine. I found it with her things after I thought she was dead, but it was hers," he said.

Irina gave him a sad smile and took the metal plate from him. She placed it in a bowl, and dripped water onto it, and then made the water burst into flames. She began concentrating as the flames rose higher, and saying words in Latin.

"What will this do?" Damon asked.

Irina was busy concentrating, so Bonnie explained. "She can turn the metal to ash, blow the ashes on her, and it'll incapacitate her for a minute or two. Long enough for you to get the stone and get out," she said.

Irina kept concentrating until she felt something dripping down from her nose. She wiped it away with her sleeve- why was her nose bleeding? She was stronger than that. Did she use too much for the past few days? Did she forget to eat? What was going on?

She dumped the ashes onto the table as the Salvatore brothers were preparing to depart. "Alaric's stake gun is in my trunk- Irina?" Damon asked.

"You guys go ahead- I'm almost done," she said.

"Fine, come along Bonnie Lass!" Damon quipped.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'll leave with my sister, thank you," she said.

"No, really- that's okay," Irina replied.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked.

Irina shushed him and continued what she was doing.

"You're trying to do too much at once Irina. You're not invincible. Yes, you might be strong, but you have used enough magic to last a year, and that was in the span of two days," Bonnie said.

"I'll be fine. I told you," Irina said.

"You're not strong enough," Jeremy replied.

Irina glared at him- she didn't like people thinking she was weak. It was one of her pet peeves. He looked shocked by her expression, but stared her down. "I am too strong enough, and Bonnie is going to help. We'll be fine," she said.

"You both could get hurt," Jeremy stated.

"Yeah, and Elena could die. We're doing this, okay?" Irina said.

"We'll be fine," Bonnie supplied.

Jeremy relented, and the two girls went to find something to put the powder in, but when they returned Jeremy was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina followed Stefan down to the tomb. They got to the bottom step when Irina noticed something.

"What the hell?" she asked.

"Is that the moonstone?" Bonnie said.

"I hate to interrupt," Katherine said, "but today has just been full of surprises."

She pulled Jeremy to her side- his neck was bleeding and he looked weak. "I'm sorry. I took some powder," he said.

"Don't worry," Katherine stated. "I know that he's wearing his ring, so no matter how many times I kill him, he'll just keep coming back for more. So, I'm gonna be in the back playing with my new little toy, and you guys just give me a holler when you got the tomb open," she said as she went to the back of the tomb.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina lit the torches as Stefan kept pacing. Irina was about to slap him if he didn't stop.

"Where the hell is Damon?" he asked.

"I don't know but we can't wait anymore. We have to get him out of there," Bonnie said.

"If she's fed she has her strength back," Stefan said.

Irina remembered something. "We still have what's left of the ash," she said.

"Do you think you can get close enough?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't have a choice," Stefan replied.

"It's going to take us some time," Irina said.

"How long?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know- a while," she replied.

Stefan sighed and looked back towards the entrance. "Just get me in there as soon as you can," he said.

They nodded and began setting up for the spell. Irina watched as Bonnie pulled Luka's dog tags from her pocket.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Look, you've been using too much magic, so you're weakened. We need as much power as we can get, okay?" she said.

"You can't just channel someone- I mean, that's a bit rude, don't you think?" Irina said.

"Seriously, Irina? We need his help, okay? He seemed fine with it at school," Bonnie replied.

"Yeah, because he likes you!" Irina exclaimed.

"Please?" Bonnie asked.

Irina sighed. "Fine, but this is all on you," she said.

They began channeling and chanting, and Irina could feel herself growing tired. This spell was huge, and it took a lot out of her the first time she did it. She could feel her nose dripping, and when she looked to Bonnie she saw that hers was doing the same. She could hear people talking, but it sounded like echoes.

"Ooh... something's happening," Katherine drawled.

"Bonnie… Irina… no, you have to stop them. They're not strong enough!" Jeremy shouted.

Stefan ran to them and began shaking them to get them to stop, but they ignored him. Irina was just focused on getting Jeremy out- no matter what she had to do for that to happen. She felt herself shaking, and she dropped to the ground- Bonnie following moments later. Stefan ran to them and she could feel him shaking her to wake up. They both did, but the scene was spinning, and it looked like there were two Stefans'.

"We can't do it. Even with help- we're not strong enough," Bonnie said.

"I'm sorry Jeremy," Irina cried.

"Hmm… I'm sorry too, because I'm still hungry," Katherine said before sinking her fangs into Jeremy.

They all ran to the entrance, and Stefan sped inside to get Jeremy out. He was stuck in there until they could find a way to lower the spell.

* * *

Irina took Bonnie home to make sure she was okay after the spell- she didn't want a repeat of what happened to Grams. She told Bonnie to wait for her while she took Jeremy home- but the young man didn't look too pleased with having a babysitter. They entered his kitchen and she followed him while he got a bandage from the cabinet.

"I'm home okay? I don't need an escort to my room," he said.

"_I_ don't know- between here and upstairs there's still time for _you_ to do something stupid!" Irina exclaimed.

"I already feel bad- I don't need you to berate me," he said.

"Stefan is stuck in there, and I don't know how to get him out. What should I be doing?" she asked.

"You should admit that you never should have tried this in the first place," Jeremy replied.

"We didn't have a choice, Jeremy!" she shouted.

"Yeah, well neither did I," he said.

Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. "Why did you have to get involved?" she asked.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt," he said.

Now she was completely shocked. She knew he liked her as a friend, but this… this was so weird. She always liked him, but this would be so dangerous for him.

"Look, Jeremy, you can't feel that way about me," she said softly.

"Don't," he whispered.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't act like this is one-sided. Like I'm some kid who has a crush on his sister's friend. You could have died today," he said as he walked towards her.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She had always liked Jeremy – there was no denying that. He was always there for her. "And you almost did," she said.

"That was a chance I was willing to take," he said as he leaned towards her. He was going to kiss her, but she couldn't do that right now. She had to think about things- she needed to talk to someone.

"I can't," she whispered as she pulled away. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. I just can't. Not right now."

She made her way to the back door and looked to him. He had a hurt expression on his face, and she just wanted to make it better. She wouldn't kiss him tonight- but she ran back to him and took his hands in hers. She began muttering in Latin and watched as his wounds healed up.

"Goodnight Jeremy," she said before running out the back door.

* * *

"The worst wounds, the deadliest of them, aren't the ones people see on the outside. They're the ones that make us bleed internally."  
― Sherrilyn Kenyon


	9. question yourself

Welcome back everyone. Thank you for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated! :D

* * *

I hang my coat up in the first bar  
There is no peace that I've found so far  
The laughter penetrates my silence  
As drunken men find flaws in science

- Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol

* * *

Irina studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was almost to the middle of her back, and it was a light-brown color. Her skin was quite pale. Her eyes stood out- they were blue. She was thin, just like the magazines said that girls should be. She supposed she would be considered pretty, so why did she feel so… unattractive today?

She had tried on everything she owned, and nothing made her feel special. Is it because she was going to be in the presence of an Original vampire- older than any other- who had seen countless women? It's not like she was trying to seduce him or something- that seemed like an odd concept to her. He always seemed so put-together, she really just wanted to make an impression. Compared to him, she was so… insignificant.

She couldn't help but think over the events that had happened so far. It made her tired just thinking about it. She had helped Elena with Rose when the vampire was bitten by a werewolf, and she had helped Jonas save Caroline from the werewolves. She had shared a kiss with Jeremy- that honestly left her a bit breathless. She had been there for Caroline after her run-in with the wolves, and she had even helped Elena strike a deal with Elijah.

* * *

"_Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm," Elijah said as Irina made herself comfortable on Elena's bed. _

_Elena looked to Irina and raised her eyebrows. "He's not lying Elena. I promise, I'll let you know if he is," she said._

_Elena nodded and asked; "Why did you kill those vampires who tried to take me?" _

"_Because I did not want you to be taken," Elijah stated as he sat on her window seat. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals, but those that fear him are desperate for his approval."_

"_Elena, if word gets out that the doppelgänger exists; there will be a never-ending line of vampires at your doorstep to take you to him," Irina explained. _

"_Yes, and I cannot have that," Elijah stated. _

"_So what, you two are working together now? Irina, how could you do this?" Elena asked._

_Irina sighed and moved to stand beside Elena. "Elena, you want your friends and family to remain safe, and I understand. Your friends and family happen to be the people I love as well. I am trying to keep you- the girl who I've considered one of my sisters since childhood- safe as well. By working with Elijah, and I ensuring that we both get our way," she explained. _

"_I still don't understand," Elena said. _

"_I'm trying to keep you safe while letting you make your own decisions. He's and Original- do you honestly think there is another being on Earth stronger than him?" she asked._

"_I can answer that- there isn't," Elijah quipped, and Irina rolled her eyes. _

"_Okay, so Irina was just trying to keep me safe. I understand that. But he says he doesn't want me to be taken, but that's exactly what he's trying to do," she said. _

"_Well, no. Not really," Irina said, before gesturing towards Elijah to finish. _

"_Let's just say my goal isn't to break the curse," he said. _

_Elena sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "So what is your goal?" she asked._

"_Klaus' obsessions have made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle," Elijah explained. _

"_Like you?" Elena asked._

"_Not anymore," Elijah replied. _

"_You don't know where he is, do you?" Irina asked._

_Realization dawned on Elena's face. "So you're trying to use me to draw him out," she said._

"_Well to do that I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed," Elijah replied. _

"_How do I know you're telling the truth? Irina could be wrong," Elena said._

_Irina looked up from her nails- that she was busy filing- and said; "Excuse me?" _

_Elijah sighed. "If I wasn't being truthful your entire family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead I'm here and I'm prepared to offer you a deal," he said. _

_Elena looked to Irina, who stood and asked; "What kind of a deal?"_

"_Do nothing- do nothing, live your life, stop fighting. And then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together, and I shall make certain that your friends remain unharmed," he explained._

"_And then what?" Elena asked._

_Elijah turned from the photo album he was looking at and stared at Elena. "Then I kill him," he said._

"_Just like that?" Elena asked, to which Elijah replied; "Just like that."_

_Elena didn't look convinced, but she really had nothing else to go on right now. Elijah was offering her the best option. She looked to Irina who gave her an encouraging nod. _

"_I'm a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal," he said._

"_How are you going to be able to keep everybody safe?" Elena asked. _

"_I notice that our darling Irina here and her sister, Bonnie, both have the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts," he said. _

"_He knows witches," Irina quipped, which earned her a smirk from Elijah. _

"_Together, we can protect everybody that matters to you," he explained. "So do we have a deal?" he asked. _

_Elena looked to Irina, and the witch pursed her lips and gave her a small nod. Elena looked down and sighed, before looking up with a look of realization on her face. "I need you to do one more thing for me," she said._

"_We're negotiating now?" Elijah asked._

* * *

Irina sighed as she pulled on the black, short-sleeved, belted dress that rested just above her knees. It was pretty, and it matched her mood- sad. She had kissed Jeremy, and it was great, but now he was spending so much alone time with Bonnie that she didn't know what to think. She didn't want to be played for a fool, but she really liked Jeremy, and she thought he liked her too. There was a knock on her door, and she turned to see Bonnie enter the room.

"Hey! You look so pretty, sis. Where are you going?" she asked.

Irina smiled the best she could. "I have the honor of being on the dinner party guest list. Isn't that interesting," she quipped.

Bonnie laughed and gave a sad smile to Irina. "There's something wrong. Why do you look so sad?" she asked.

"I don't know. I guess it's just one of those days," she said.

"I guess so," Bonnie replied, before asking; "Did you take your medicine?"

"Bonnie, I don't need that medicine," Irina replied.

Bonnie sighed and made her way to the kitchen before coming back with a pill bottle. "Take them- that is not to be argued with," she said before she left.

Irina sighed and looked at the bottle in her hands. She rolled it between her fingers a few times before slipping it into her purse and making her way to the car.

* * *

"I hate to break it to you Damon, but according to Elijah- your family is so not a founder of this town," Jenna said as they ate their meal.

Irina smiled at Elijah. For some reason, she felt safe around him- which is odd. He even brightened her mood a tad.

"As I mentioned to Jenna; A faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690's. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution," Elijah explained.

Jenna smirked. "Because they were witches," she joked.

"There's no tangible proof that there were witches in Salem," Andie replied. Irina rolled her eyes, which caused Elijah to smirk at her.

"Andie's a journalist- big on facts," Damon said.

"Well, lore says there was this wave of… anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement. So, these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned," Elijah said, causing a shiver to run through Irina. "Some say you could hear the screams from miles away. They were consumed by the fire."

Irina had to close her eyes and take a steadying breath. She had heard from the spirits about that event- it wasn't something she cared to think about.

"I wouldn't repeat that to the historical society," Jenna said.

"It's starting to sound like a ghost story," John quipped- and there it was. Irina had almost forgotten exactly why she hated that man, but now she knew. That was the reason. He was an absolute douche.

"So, why do you want to know the location of these… alleged… massacres?" Damon asked, causing Irina to shoot him a death glare.

"You know… a healthy historians curiosity, of course," Elijah replied.

"Of course," Irina replied.

* * *

The dinner was going as smoothly as one could imagine it would- being that there were two vampires, a vampire hunter, a witch, and three humans gathered around the table. All that was missing was the werewolf- perhaps Irina should have dragged Tyler back for their little gathering. What could possibly go wrong on this most normal of nights?

"Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle I've been saving for ages," Damon said.

"None for me, thanks. Nine bottles of wine is my limit," Alaric joked.

Everyone stood while Andie said; "The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study."

"The dinner was almost as enjoyable as the company," Elijah complimented.

"I like you," Andie said.

Irina picked up some dishes off the table and handed them to John. "Here, make yourself useful," she said.

Alaric and John were arguing, and John threatened Alaric- again- before walking off into the kitchen. Alaric's phone started ringing, and when Alaric answered Stefan quickly told him about the dagger and what would happen if Damon used it.

"Oh my gosh," Irina said when Alaric told her the news. "What are we going to do?"

"Okay- you go to Stefan and Elena and wait for news, do you understand? You don't need to be in on this," Alaric said.

"Alaric…" she began.

"Listen, Irina, I know you want to help. That's great, but we don't have time to argue right now. You can spell me later, just please go to Elena and Stefan where you'll be safe, okay?" he said.

She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and she knew he was truly worried about her. "Okay," she whispered as she grabbed her bag and ran out of the house.

* * *

Irina arrived and explained to them what was happening. By the time Elijah got there, it was enough for them to formulate a plan. Stefan wasn't too keen on it, but she assured him that if anything went wrong, she had a way to make sure Elena stayed alive and safe. Damon had showed up with the dagger, which he handed to Elena, and she kept it hidden in her sleeve. Irina was prepared with a knife- this had to work.

"He's here," Stefan said.

A few moments later, the door went flying off the house- Elijah had thrown rocks. Now Irina knew who was behind the shattering window at the coffee shop.

"You have to go," Elena said. "We need to talk to him."

Elena's acting was good. "Elena…" Stefan began.

"Stefan, we'll be okay. He can't come in the house," Irina said.

"You know," Elijah began. "I might not be able to enter this house, but I am a very patient man. I'll wait you out."

Elena and Irina shared a look before moving to face him in the doorway. "They shouldn't have done what they did," Elena said.

"The deal is off," Elijah said.

"We're renegotiating," Irina replied.

"You have nothing left to negotiate with," Elijah stated.

Irina let her eyes appear cold and detached- she was in the perfect mood for this. She saw his eyebrows quirk as he noticed the change, and then he rolled his eyes when she showed him the knife.

"I'd like to see you lure Klaus to Mystic Falls after the doppelgänger bleed to death," Irina said.

"Stefan won't let Elena die," Elijah said.

"No he won't," Elena replied. "He'll feed me his blood to heal me, and then I'll kill myself to become a vampire, just like Katherine did."

"So unless you want that to happen again, promise us the same as before. Promise us that you won't harm anyone that we love," Irina said.

"Even if they've harmed you," Elena quickly supplied.

"I'm sorry Irina," Elijah said. "But I'm going to have to call your bluff."

Irina looked to Elena with apologies in her eyes, and Elena nodded to her. Irina pulled her hand back, and steadied Elena with a hand on her shoulder, before plunging the knife forward and into Elena's abdomen. Irina had to fight to keep the tears from falling.

"No!" Elijah yelled as he sped forward as far as he could go. "Yes! Yes, you can have your deal. Let me heal you!"

"Give me your word!" Elena shouted.

"Fine, I give you my word," he said.

Elena staggered forward and into his arms, sticking the dagger into his heart as she did. His skin turned a sickly grey color, and he fell to the ground. Elena fell to the ground as well, and Stefan flashed out of the house and fed her his blood to heal her.

"Little tip," Damon said. "Don't pull the dagger out."

* * *

Irina arrived home after a very long night, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and die. She tossed her bag on the couch and heard sniffling from the kitchen.

"Bonnie?" she called.

She walked into the kitchen to see Bonnie sitting at the table with her head in her hands. "Oh my gosh, Bonnie… what happened? Are you okay?" Irina asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I'm not okay," she said.

"What happened?" Irina asked.

"He took them, Irina. Jonas took my powers."

* * *

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."  
― William Blake


	10. time

_You're all the best! Thank you for reading! :)_

* * *

They tell me I'm too young to understand  
They say I'm caught up in a dream  
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes  
Well that's fine by me

- Wake Me Up by Avicii

* * *

_"He took them, Irina. Jonas took my powers."_

Irina stared at Bonnie in shock. Did she hear correctly? How do you take a witch's powers? Irina knew it was possible, but that was just… uncalled for and unforgivable.

"Don't worry, Bonnie. I promise you, we'll get them back," Irina said before going to her room to look through the grimoires.

She stayed up the entire night studying and trying to find _anything_ that would give Bonnie her powers back. She came across something interesting. It said that any time a witch's powers were taken by force, and out of anger, that someone could call upon the spirits to get them back. She looked at the page- there wasn't an incantation she had to say, she simply had to speak with them. But how does one go about speaking to dead people?

She closed her eyes and concentrated. When she was younger, she could always hear them calling to her, but over time they were easier to block out. Now she didn't know how to get them to answer her. She focused in her mind, and she heard whispers in the air, and the scented candle on her nightstand flared.

…_Why do you call us?... _

"_My sister's powers were taken. I need to know how I can get them back," she said._

…_She will help you…_

"_Who will help us?" she asked._

…_You must open your necklace…_

"_What do you mean I must open my necklace?" Irina asked._

…_Open it, Irina… _

Irina looked at her necklace, and noticed that the onyx stone was able to open. She had never noticed that before- how had she missed it? She opened it, and a simple ring fell into her open palm. It was just a simple, silver ring. No jewels, no pearls, just metal.

"_Why was this in my necklace?" she asked._

…_Put it on… _

"_What will it do?" Irina said. _

…_Put it on, and she will help you…_

Irina hesitated, but knew better than to argue with the spirits. She slipped the ring onto her left ring-finger and looked at it. There was engraving on the outer part- it said _A mother's love_, but it was in a different script- a runic script. Suddenly, she felt lightheaded.

"Bonnie!" she called.

She was swaying on her feet as she made her way to the bedroom. It was almost morning, and Bonnie would be waking up soon anyway. Irina opened the door and was making her way to Bonnie's room when her sister came running towards her.

"Irina! What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know. I feel… weird," she said.

The edges of her vision started darkening, and her eyelids became heavy. The last thing she felt was her body falling with a thud to the floor.

* * *

Bonnie watched as her sister lost consciousness, and caught her as she fell to the floor. Her magic was gone, and she couldn't do anything to help. She grabbed her cellphone off the kitchen table and dialed Jeremy's number.

_Hello?_

"Jeremy, something is wrong with Irina," Bonnie said.

_What do you mean? What happened?_

Bonnie listened as a door shut on the other line. "I don't know Jeremy. I was asleep, and I heard her calling for me. Then, I came to find her and she passed out. I don't know what's wrong," Bonnie panicked.

_Calm down. I'll be there in less than five minutes._

"Okay. Bye Jeremy," Bonnie replied.

Jeremy hung up and Bonnie paced frantically until she heard him pull up outside. He was still in his pajamas, and Bonnie would have laughed at his hair if the situation weren't so serious.

"So what happened?" Jeremy asked as he picked Irina up and carried her to the couch.

Bonnie sighed. "I told you, she passed out. I don't know why," she said.

"What had she been doing?" Jeremy asked.

"She was looking through the grimoires all night, trying to find a way to get my magic back. I told her it was useless, but she wouldn't stop looking," Bonnie explained.

"Do you think she was just tired?" Jeremy asked.

"No, it wasn't like that. She wouldn't have called me if she were just tired," Bonnie said.

Jeremy was about to reply when Irina's eyes shot open, and she sat up. Bonnie and Jeremy both looked at her strangely.

"Irina," Jeremy said softly.

Irina looked to them, but there was something different. Her eyes looked wise beyond her years, and while Irina certainly wasn't dumb, it was still odd to see her with that expression. It was… confusion.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"You are Irina's sister? The one who lost her powers?" Irina asked, but her voice was different. She had an accent now.

"Yes, she is. You're not Irina, are you?" Jeremy asked.

Irina- or the person controlling her- simply smiled. "You are a smart young human. Now I understand why Irina fancies you," she said.

Jeremy looked uncomfortable, so Bonnie said; "Why are you possessing Irina?"

"I am an ancestor of Irina's from the other side. She needed help with this, and I am trying to assist. Your family has taken care of Irina, so I consider you part of my family also- I will help you get your powers back Bonnie, please understand that," she said.

"Thank you," Bonnie breathed.

"Oh! Before I forget- your grandmother has asked me to tell you that she loves you, and is proud of all you are doing. She was livid when she saw what Jonas Martin did," the person possessing Irina explained.

Tears sprang to Bonnie's eyes, and she smiled. "Thank you," she breathed. "What is your name?" she asked.

"My name is Esther," she said before turning to leave.

* * *

After a rundown from Bonnie about today's society and the new inventions, Esther was ready to go. She couldn't believe how much had changed while she had been dead- it was amazing. She had changed into an outfit that made her quite uncomfortable- it left little to the imagination.

She longed for the days of long, conservative dresses. Now she was wearing a lacy, sleeveless white dress with a black belt that came to rest above her knees. Bonnie had given her a pair of high-heeled boots and a leather jacket. She was uncomfortable, but she didn't voice such opinions.

"Jeremy," she asked as she finished dressing.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Would you drive me to the Martin's dwelling? I need to have a word with them," she said.

"Wait," Bonnie said, "Won't they be able to overpower you?"

"Absolutely not. While I'm in Irina's body, I have her powers and my own- they will not be able to stop me," Esther said.

"As long as you won't get hurt, I'd be happy to help," Jeremy said.

Esther smiled at him, and said; "Thank you."

"No, thank you. You didn't have to help, but you did. Seriously, I'm very grateful," Bonnie replied.

Esther smirked and said; "Well, Bonnie- us witches have to stick together!"

* * *

Jeremy pulled up to the Martin witches' apartment building and opened Esther's for her. She thanked him, and he smiled at her. "Whenever you're done, just call me on Irina's cell phone," he said.

"I will try my best," she said before walking into the apartment building.

She walked up the stairs- her heels clicking as she went- and stopped in front of the Martin witches door. She took a breath, and knocked on the door. The younger Martin opened it, and looked nervous.

"Irina…" he said.

When Jonas heard his son say Irina's name, he came to the door. "Go home, Irina. There is nothing here for you," he said.

He went to close the door, but Esther stopped it with her hand. "I am not Irina- I wish to have a word with you," she said.

"Very well," he said as he stepped aside, allowing Esther to enter.

Esther stood in the middle of their family room, looking at all the grimoires they had collected. They came to stand in front of her and the elder Martin cleared his throat. "So, if you aren't Irina, who are you?" he asked.

She looked at him with a stern expression that made him nervous. "My name is Esther," she said.

Their eyes went wide. "You're the Original witch," Jonas breathed.

"Yes, and I am here to tell you that you will not bring any harm to my granddaughter or her loved ones. How dare you take Bonnie's powers," she said.

"You don't know what she did," he said.

Esther held up her hand, silencing him. "I know exactly what she did, and she had no right to do that, but can you blame her? She was trying to help her friend. Your son is still alive and well- but, if you do not heed my word, you will both be dead before the week is over. The spirits have decreed it," she said.

"You cannot come into our home and tell us what to do," Jonas said.

"I think you'll find that I can. You have been warned- what you do next is your decision. Good day, Dr. Martin. Good day, Luka. Oh, and you will not be telling my granddaughter about my relation to her," Esther said before leaving the two men stunned in their apartment.

* * *

Esther couldn't figure out how to work the blasted cellphone, so she decided to just walk home. She remembered the way, and it wasn't too far, even though the heels were doing a number on her feet. Why did women in this century wear such torture devices? She was halfway home when a blue sports car pulled up beside her. She stopped when the driver-side window rolled down.

"Hey Irina," Damon said

She nodded to him and kept walking. He gave a confused look, and stopped the car before getting out. He sped up to walk beside her and said; "What did I do now?"

She ignored him and kept walking, but he grabbed her arm. "Look, I know you were on okay terms with Elijah, but you seemed fine with daggering him yesterday," Damon said.

"You daggered Elijah?" Esther asked in an angry voice.

"Irina, what happened to your voice?" he asked.

She zapped his arm, and he went flying across the road into the woods. She continued on her way until she came to Irina's house, and she ran inside and closed the door. Jeremy was there in an instant.

"You were meant to call me," he said.

"I don't know how to work that blasted thing. I called someone named Caroline five times before I gave up," she said.

Jeremy chuckled and followed her to the living room where Bonnie was waiting. "What did they say?" she asked.

"I told them exactly what I was meant to. I can't take your powers back from them, but they have until the end of the week to return them," she said.

"Or?" Jeremy asked.

Irina smirked, but it looked out-of-place on her face. "Or they will die a death befitting their actions. Once they die, your powers will be returned, but we would like them to have the chance to return them willingly," Esther explained.

"Thank you, Esther," Bonnie said.

"It was no problem, my child. Now, when I remove this ring I will leave her body. When your powers are returned, you must destroy it using this spell," she said, handing Bonnie a folded parchment from Irina's bag.

"Okay, I will," she said.

"Irina will most likely be asleep for the rest of the day, so make sure someone is here at all times. She will have no memory of this," Esther said.

"Thank you again, Esther. You have been so helpful," Bonnie said.

Esther nodded and smiled at the young Bennett witch before slipping the ring off of her finger, and handing it to Bonnie. Within seconds Irina's body slumped to the floor, but Jeremy caught her before she could hit.

* * *

_Irina was in the middle of a field. There were wildflowers, and horses, and everything was absolutely perfect. She didn't remember what had happened. All she knew was that one moment she was looking for a way to help Bonnie, and then she was here. She stood from her position on the ground, and looked around. The sun warmed her face, and she smiled. _

"_It's beautiful here, isn't it?" a small voice said. _

_She turned to see a young boy coming out of the tree line and into the field. "Yes, it is. Where am I?" she asked._

"_We're in your hometown, a long time ago," he said. _

_Irina looked around and said; "Am I dead?"_

"_No," a woman said as she appeared in the field. "You're not dead, sweetheart."_

"_Hey… I know you. I've dreamt about you," Irina said._

_The woman smiled. "Yes, you have, and Elijah has told you a bit about me," she said._

"_You're Aoife. You're my mother," Irina breathed. _

"_Yes," she said. _

_Irina stood there with a shocked expression on her face. She had spent so much time trying to remember her mother and what happened to her, and here she was. _

"_And you're certain I'm not dead," Irina stated. _

_Aoife and the young boy just laughed, and the young boy took her hand to lead her under a shade tree. It was so beautiful here, and she wanted this to last forever. There was a slight breeze, and it made the smell of wildflowers envelope her. It was so peaceful here. _

"_She does not remember me, Aoife," the boy said. _

_Irina looked at him, and then to her mother. "What does he mean?" she asked._

_Aoife sighed as she looked at her daughter. "Irina, your memories were taken, and we can tell you nothing until they are returned. I'm sorry," she said._

"_I understand. Why am I here then?" she asked._

"_Esther is using your body to have a chat with two witches in the living world," Aoife said._

_Irina raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Okay then," she mumbled. "So, you are both dead then?" she asked._

"_Yes, we are. And we have been watching-you, your father and his family. We've seen everything they've done over the years, and we can only hope you'll help his humanity show," Henrik said. _

"_I don't understand," Irina said. _

"_I know dear, and you won't for quite some time. But, if everything goes as planned, you'll understand eventually. Until then, just remember that I love you. I always have, and I always will," Aoife said. _

_Irina smiled. "I… love you… too," she said. _

_Aoife smiled and hugged her daughter, before moving to let Henrik have a turn. "I love you too, Irina. And I've missed you. I hope you get your memories back soon," he said. _

"_Me too. I guess I'll see you around," she said. _

"_Before you wake up, I need to tell you this. Anytime you feel afraid, or worried, or alone you can come here and see us. We'll always be here for you, okay? All you have to do is sleep, or concentrate, or meditate… you can see us whenever you want, okay?" Aoife said. _

"_Okay," Irina replied. _

_Now… wake up. _

* * *

Irina woke up with a gasp. She sat up in her bed, and noticed that she wasn't alone. Jeremy was in her room with her, only he was asleep in the chair beside her bed. She cleared her throat, but he still didn't budge- he was quite the heavy sleeper.

"Jeremy," she said softly.

He moved slightly, but didn't wake up. She chuckled as she grabbed one of the pillows behind her head. She threw it at him, and it hit his face. He jumped up like someone had just shot him, and the expression on his face made Irina laugh.

"Irina! You're awake," he said as he went to sit beside her.

"Yeah, I am. How long was I out?" she asked.

Jeremy sighed. "The whole day. You missed a lot," he said.

"Is that so? Why don't you fill me in?" she asked sweetly.

He gave her that adorable, crooked smile and moved closer to her on the bed. He relayed the entire day- from Luka's death that led to Jonas' meltdown, which led to his own demise. It really was a busy day. He also told her how one of her ancestors- someone named Esther- had taken over her body to have a chat with the Martin witches.

"So did it work?" she asked.

"Did what work?" Jeremy replied.

Irina rolled her eyes. "Did Bonnie get her powers back?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. She did, but we're keeping that on the down-low for now," he explained.

"Good. So, what time is it?" she asked.

"Around midnight. Tomorrow is going to be busy, I'm sure, so you'll need your rest," he said.

She smiled at him. "I've been asleep all day, Jeremy," she said.

"Well, you're just going to have to sleep some more," he said as he moved beside her on the bed. "And I'll stay right here to make sure you do."

She sighed dramatically and said; "What a punishment- a cute guy lying next to me in my bed to make sure I sleep. The only thing worse would be death by chocolate."

He laughed as he pulled the blanket on her, and she rested her head on his chest. She was apparently more tired than she thought, because she fell asleep within minutes, wondering what cologne Jeremy wore and why it smelled so amazing.

* * *

The next morning Jeremy woke Irina up before explaining that he had to go make sure Elena was okay. Apparently Isobel was back… again. While Jeremy was gone, Irina took a shower and got dressed. She wore her floral print shorts, and her blue tank top. She was actually in a pretty good mood today, and she wondered what her deal was. Normally she had to take meds to be in such a good mood. She decided to roll with it, and made her way to the car.

She pulled up outside the Martin's apartment building moments later, and saw Damon's sports car and Bonnie's Toyota sitting out front. They made their way up the stairs, and Damon opened the door to their apartment. He moved his hand forward, and it passed right through.

"Yep; everybody's dead," he said.

Irina entered and looked around. "We should pack up the grimoires," she began. "They spent years collecting them. I want to make sure they're safe."

"You know, we could just get another match and cremate 'em," Damon quipped.

Irina shot him a _did-you-seriously-just-say-that_ look, and Bonnie said; "Don't be disrespectful. Not to him."

Irina hated the sadness in her sister's tone. She knew Bonnie was close to Luka- he understood her.

"Fine. I'll bury him," Damon said.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Jeremy asked.

"According to Luka's dad, one of these contains a spell that will let me harness the energy that gets left behind when a witch dies violently," Bonnie explained.

Irina giggled. "I didn't know you and papa-witch were so close," she playfully teased.

Bonnie smiled at her sister. "We weren't, but when he gave me my powers back, he gave me a message. If I can find the spot in town where the old Salem witches were burned, I can harness their energy to use when I need it," she explained.

"Great! We'll have to put that on our list of things to do today. Harness ancient-dead witch power," Damon said.

"You know where the witches were burned!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Damon smirked. "Did I forget to mention that?" he asked.

"Are we gonna have to read through every one of these books until we find the spell we're looking for?" Jeremy asked, sounding a bit bewildered.

"Not exactly," Irina said as she moved in front of the bookcase.

She stood with her arms up- palms facing out- and relaxed. Then, she focused all of her energy into what she wanted before chanting in Latin. Suddenly, books flew off the shelves, and the one lying open on top was the one they were looking for. Jeremy looked impressed, and Irina just smiled and bookmarked the page before handing the grimoire to Bonnie.

"We've got it… let's go!" she said with a smile.

* * *

"I told you, I suck at this. It's like any time I try to do a spell, it goes all big and scary and explodey..."  
― Rachel Hawkins


	11. making plans

_Another day, another chapter! This is an important announcement btw: I just got a new laptop, and I don't have Microsoft Word on it yet, so I won't be able to upload any more chapters to my document editor. But, never fear, I can get up to chapter 14. :D Hopefully I'll get Word soon. _

* * *

We got no money, but we got heart  
We're gonna rattle this ghost town  
This house is falling apart

- Anna Sun by Walk the Moon

* * *

"_We've got it… let's go!" she said with a smile. _

They left the Martin's apartment, and everyone went to their vehicles to go home. Irina was following Bonnie when she got a text from Ric.

_Hey, would you mind helping me with something? -R_

_Absolutely. Where and when? –I_

_Now, in front of the Grill? –R_

_Sure, be there soon. :) –I_

Irina put her phone back in her purse and changed route to the Grill. When she got there, she saw Ric talking to Isobel, and she got out to go see what was going on.

"Hey, Ric. What's going on?" she asked.

Isobel smiled at her. "I was just tying up my loose ends," she said as she handed Ric his phone.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"They're all yours," she said before walking away.

Irina was completely blindsided by the pain in her head as she fell to the ground.

* * *

Irina woke to the sound of chanting in Latin. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. She opened her eyes and, even though it was blurry, she could register the fact that the room was dark. It must be night time- how long was she out? She turned her head to the right, and saw Elena lying beside her, only… it wasn't Elena. It was Katherine- Irina could tell by the bracelet she was wearing.

Irina sat up as quietly as she could, and looked to the male witch who was standing in front of Ric's body. She didn't know what he was doing- the spell wasn't familiar to her. He was dark, and she could sense it. She made her way to Katherine, and shook her awake.

"Katherine," she whispered.

Katherine came to, and looked completely confused. Irina held a finger to her lips to make sure Katherine wouldn't say anything before pointing to the witch and Alaric. Irina helped Katherine stand.

"What is he doing?" Katherine asked, almost too low for Irina to hear.

"I don't know. I'm not familiar with it. It's different… dark," Irina explained.

Katherine looked back to the witch as he finished his chanting, and they watched as Ric stood from the chair. She looked more fearful every step he took towards her.

"Alaric?" Irina asked.

Katherine didn't waste any time before zooming to the door and trying to leave, but she was blocked. Alaric- or whomever was possessing him- took slow steps towards her. She was trapped. When he finally reached the spot where she stood, he said; "Zdravei, Katerina. I have missed you."

"Klaus," she breathed.

* * *

Klaus had seen her- after all this time, she was here. He had never stopped loving his daughter, but he always assumed she'd be a child when they met again. Now she was all grown up, and Klaus realized he knew nothing about his own child. She didn't have her memories- obviously- but he had never forgotten her. One look into Irina's eyes and he knew it was his daughter. He had all but given up hope of ever finding her again.

When he first woke up in this body, he had to refrain from pulling her into a hug like he did when she was a child. For one thing, she didn't know who he was. Her memories hadn't come back yet. For another thing, he was in the body of her teacher- can you say awkward? Then he thought to what his witches had told him- that they had sensed her when they first entered Mystic Falls. She was powerful… dangerously so.

He had banished Katerina to one of the bedrooms- he could deal with her later. He had _at least_ five hundred years to do so. He wanted to have a conversation with his- very grown-up- daughter. But where do you begin with a conversation such as this? He studied her; long, chocolate brown hair; bright blue eyes, that looked extremely angry at the moment; the same lips as her mother had. She was gorgeous, and he felt a sense of pride at the fact that she was his.

"Can you please stop looking at me like that?" she asked.

He smirked- she had fire. "Like what darling?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and made her way to Ric's kitchen. She pulled out a bottle of bourbon and began to pour herself a glass. Did she really think he was going to let her drink? He took the bottle and glass from her, and she looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously?" she asked.

"Aren't you a bit young to be drinking?" he asked.

"Aren't you a bit hypocritical to judge anything that I do?" she fired back at him.

He was impressed with her already- she was a firecracker. "I guess so," he relented as he handed her the glass, but kept the bottle.

She smirked at him- with the smirk his family made famous- and downed the drink in one gulp. It didn't even seem to faze her- it was like watching her drink water. He wondered if it were alcohol at all. It smelled like it, and looked like it, so why didn't it affect her. He continued to study her with interest as she rested her head on her hand. She had a bored expression on her face- like she wasn't afraid of him at all.

"So… why have you brought me here?" she asked.

"You are intriguing," he said. "I am told you are an incredibly powerful witch."

"And you want me to help you," she guessed.

He paused for a moment to consider that statement. No, he didn't _need_ her help, but he did want her on his side. She was his daughter for goodness sake, why wouldn't he want her one his side? He had to keep reminding himself that she didn't know him yet. He wasn't even in his right body at the moment.

"No…" he said.

"No what?" she asked.

"I don't need your help. Whenever you decide to join me, I want it to be on your terms," he said.

She scoffed. "Well, it's a good thing you can't die then," she said.

"And why is that?" he asked, his eyes flashing with anger.

Her eyes flashed with the same anger, and for a moment, he saw how much she was like him. They were both quick tempered, that was for sure. "Because it will be a cold day in hell before I join you- I just want to make that clear up front," she hissed.

She seemed surprised when- instead of lashing out at her- he reigned in his anger and smirked. "Very well, my dear," he said.

She rolled her eyes and plopped down on the sofa, grabbing her bag as she went. He had taken her phone earlier, but she didn't seem to be looking for that. She took out a sketchpad and a pencil before going to work on her drawing. Klaus smiled when he realized it was just another thing that they had in common.

* * *

The next morning Irina was still pissed about being taken. She was about to go insane in this room, and she'd only been here for a few hours. She was sitting beside Katherine- who had been allowed back in the living room- as Klaus chose his outfit for the day. She felt terrible that she couldn't get a message to Bonnie or anyone else that she knew.

"Okay…" Klaus said as he returned, holding two shirts, "bad… or badder?" he asked.

"The dark colors suit you better," Katherine said.

"Oh, thank you honey!" he exclaimed.

Irina rolled her eyes and said; "And for God's sake, I hope you can do better with your English. 'Badder' isn't exactly a word. I mean, you are the oldest vampire in the world. Weren't you there when the language was invented?" she quipped.

He rolled his eyes and said; "Cute." Then, he began changing his shirt, and Irina looked away. She did not need to see her teacher like that. "Okay, pop quiz. The dagger and white ash are in the Salvatore's possession, correct?" he asked.

"The dagger was used to kill Elijah. You'll find him in the basement of the Salvatore house," Katherine said.

"Okay, that dagger needs to stay exactly where it is. The last thing I need to do is resurrect Elijah. Och… that guy is a buzz kill," Klaus said.

"Don't forget, you're on the outs with your girlfriend Jenna," Irina said.

"Right," Klaus continued. "Elena's aunt… for all the lies about Isobel. What else?"

"That's it," she said, keeping the bored expression on her face.

"Hmm…" Klaus said as he made his way to Katherine. He ran his hand along the side of her face, causing her to jump in her seat. She was _actually_ scared of him. "Oh… so jumpy."

"Please… just kill me. I've told you everything that I know," Katherine said.

"You see… I believe that you believe that. But what would you not know? What could they be keeping from you? Tell me," he compelled.

Katherine looked at him, as if in a trance. "They were trying to see if Bonnie and Irina could find a way to kill an Original without a dagger," she said.

Klaus glanced at Irina, and for the first time she let some of the fear she was feeling show on her face, but she quickly composed herself. Klaus just ignored what she said about Irina.

"Bonnie the best friend?" he asked. "I thought you said she didn't have her powers anymore."

"She doesn't- or… didn't. I don't know," Katherine said.

"You kidnapped us, remember? We're kind of out-of-the-loop," Irina said.

"Well, we'll have to get to the bottom of that," he said.

"Please, just kill me Klaus, and be done with it," Katherine begged.

"And show you kindness?" Klaus asked. "I've been searching for you, for five hundred years. Your death will last at least that long."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. Irina was getting frightened- would he used it on her?

"Now, I want you to take this knife, and stab yourself," he said to Katherine.

She took the knife from his hand, and held it above her leg. She brought it down, and the sound of the knife going through flesh sickened Irina. Katherine yanked the knife out of her leg, and Irina was disgusted as Klaus told her to keep doing that until he returned. She silently spelled it so that she wouldn't feel the pain of the knife. Hopefully she knew to play along. Klaus grabbed Irina by the arm and pulled her to the door.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I am going to go lay eyes on my precious doppelgänger and you…" he said as he turned her to look at him. When he made eye contact, she knew she was going to be compelled. He must have taken her bracelet. "… _you are not going to remember that I am Klaus. You will know me only as Alaric. If anyone asks where you were, say that Maddox kidnapped you, but you escaped before he took your powers_," he said.

* * *

Irina woke in her bed, with no knowledge of how she got there. She remembered only that she had been kidnapped by one of Klaus' witches, and it was all Isobel's fault. She took her cellphone from her bag and dialed Bonnie's number.

_Irina!_

Bonnie sounded frantic, and Irina said; "Bonnie, it's me. I'm okay."

_Oh thank God. I was so worried. What happened?_

"One of Klaus' witches kidnapped me, but I escaped before he could take my powers," she said.

_He was going to take your powers?_

Bonnie sounded disgusted by that, and Irina said; "Yeah. He must've known I was powerful or something. It's all Isobel's fault though. She set me up."

_Well, you won't have to worry about her. She was compelled by Klaus to take off her necklace in the daytime, and she's not around anymore. _

"How's Elena?" Irina asked.

_She's okay. She feels sad, but it isn't like when Miranda or Greyson died. _

"I understand. So where are you?" Irina asked.

_We're at the boarding house- you should get down here. _

"Okay. Give me fifteen minutes," she replied.

_Love you Irina. Bye._

"Bye sis," Irina said before hanging up the phone and going to shower and change her clothes.

* * *

When Irina arrived the Salvatore brothers were standing outside. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're giving Elena the house," Damon said like it was no big deal.

"You gave her your house?" Irina asked.

Damon just smirked, and Stefan said; "Yep."

Irina just shook her head and walked inside. Bonnie and Elena were sitting and talking with a man- wearing a suit- who was explaining papers to them. When they saw Irina, they both jumped up and ran to her. They almost knocked her down with their hug.

"You're okay! Oh my gosh, we were so worried!" Elena exclaimed.

"I'm fine Elena. No worries," Irina said.

Bonnie smiled at her. "And you still have your powers?" she asked.

Irina closed her eyes and concentrated on the candles in the room. She opened her hand, and the fire was in her palms, and then the candles relit. She smiled and opened her eyes, and she saw that Bonnie looked relieved.

"Thank God you're okay. I was worried sick," Bonnie said.

"I'm fine. We should get back to… whoever that is," Irina said, and they walked back to the table.

"Okay," the man said, "sign here, and here."

Elena sighed the paper, and Irina said; "So, they just gave you their house?"

"Yep. As sole owner I'm the only one who can invite a certain type of person in," Elena explained.

"Your own personal safe house," Irina said, and Elena nodded.

"Wouldn't wanna clean it," Bonnie said, and the three of them laughed.

* * *

After Stefan and Damon were both invited in, Bonnie came back with everyone's jackets. Elena was putting hers on when Stefan asked; "Where are you going?"

"To school," Elena replied.

"No, no, no… we didn't create a safe house just so you could leave it," Damon said.

"Yeah, guys. Klaus is out there. We know that," Stefan reasoned.

"Right," Irina began. "But where? No one knows."

"Look, I really appreciate what you guys are doing, and I'll be able to sleep at night knowing I'm safe here. But, I'm not going to be a prisoner," Elena said.

Everyone looked to Damon, who seemed to have a hard time accepting this. "Your way Elena," he said.

"Don't worry, we're ready. If he shows his face, we can take him," Bonnie said.

"We know how," Irina said.

"The way I see it, next to Bonnie and Irina is the safest place I can be," Elena said cheerfully as she locked arms with the two girls and they walked out.

Stefan scoffed and looked to Damon, who just motioned for him to follow. "Wait," Stefan said. "I'm coming too."

* * *

As the bell rang; Bonnie, Irina, and Elena all took their seats in the history classroom, followed by Stefan. Elena turned to Stefan, and held up a flyer, which Stefan promptly shot down. Then she turned to Bonnie and Irina, who smiled and nodded at what the flyer said.

_60's Decade Dance_

"Hello class," Alaric said as he walked into the classroom. "What are we learning today?"

"With the Decade Dance tonight, we've been covering the sixties all week," Irina said.

Ric smiled at her before turning to the board. "Right, the sixties…" he said, as he wrote with the chalk. "I wish there was something good I could say about the sixties," he murmured.

Irina and Bonnie shared a confused look, but returned their attention to the board.

"Actually," Ric continued, "they kind of sucked. Except for the Beatles, of course- they made it bearable. What else was there? The Cuban missile… thing; we walked on the moon; there was Watergate…"

"Watergate was the seventies, Ric," Elena said before she caught her mistake, "I mean, Mr. Saltzman."

"Right, it all kind of mushes together up here. The sixties… seventies…. but thank you, Elena," he said before finishing his strange lecture.

* * *

He looked at Irina throughout his lecturing. It was just some bullshit, random rambling to get him through the class. He wasn't good at teaching from the books- half the time they got it wrong. He had to play the part, though. He noticed that she wasn't even paying attention to the lecture. She was just sitting there drawing in her notebook. He tried to see her picture as best he could- it looked like she was drawing a flower. She was actually quite decent, and again it filled him with a sense of pride knowing she inherited something good from him.

The bell rang and she jumped a bit as she was pulled out of her art trance. He knew what that was like- being so into something that you forget the world around you. He was willing to bet that she hadn't heard a word of his lecture- although it probably wouldn't do her any good. As she was walking up the aisle, her pencil dropped. As she bent to pick it up he noticed her necklace move forward- the necklace he had inscribed her name on in their old language. This was his Irina- if there was ever any doubts before, they were gone now.

The next period was his lunch break, so he decided to grab a bite from the vending machine in the teacher's lounge. On his way there he noticed the door to the art room was opened, and someone was humming from inside. He peeked in to see Irina with her tray of food, sitting at one of the tables. For a moment he felt his chest ache at seeing her sitting by herself, before he remembered that she had tons of friends- namely the members of the Scooby gang hell bent on killing him.

He entered the room, and she looked up to give him a small smile. "Oh, hi Ric," she said.

He smiled as he went to sit across from her. "Hey Irina. What are you doing?" he asked.

She sighed and said; "Just trying to clear my mind, you know."

He nodded and looked at what she was working on. It was a painting on a small canvas, and it looked… dark. It was depressing, but it was good. She definitely had talent. He wanted to know what could have possibly caused his daughter so much pain that her art would be this depressing. She looked so happy on the outside- was it just a mask that she wore for the world?

"So, why does it look so dark?" he asked.

She glanced at him before continuing with her work. "You know I'm a witch, Ric," she began in a hushed tone. "Well, we can speak with the spirits, right? There is one spirit who speaks to me a lot," she said.

This intrigued him, and he said; "Who is it?"

"She says she's my mother, and we look like we could be related. The thing is, that this is the same woman in the dream that I always have. Which means, if it is my mother, then she's been dead this whole time," Irina explained.

He wanted to assure her that she still had someone who loved her. He would always love her, unconditionally, but he couldn't. She didn't remember him- she remembered her mother.

"That's… intense," he said.

She laughed, but it was humorless. "Yeah, tell me about it," she said.

"But you said you talk to her?" he asked.

"Yes, but only for a short while- I can't sleep forever. I wonder why now? Why not when I was younger?" she said.

"Perhaps it's your brain's way of allowing you to remember slowly," he offered.

She seemed to mull over that for a moment, and then said; "That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Well, I do that sometimes," he quipped.

She laughed, and he found himself falling in love with the sound. It was a beautiful sound that bubbled out of her mouth from inside her. It made him smile a genuine, not-caused-by-death, smile. She turned her attention back to the painting and frowned.

"You made me feel better before this was finished," she teased.

He chuckled. "Well, maybe you should start another one," he offered.

"I probably will," she said.

"I need some art for my apartment. Will you paint me a picture?" he asked.

She smiled. "I would love to! You really like my artwork that much?" she asked.

"You are quite talented," he said.

"Well, what should I paint?" she asked.

He thought a moment. "What do you normally paint?" he asked.

"I normally paint my feelings. For example, when I think of Bonnie I think of a sister. I think of serene colors and nature tones, so if I were to paint her a picture, it would probably be abstract- and it would involve those aspects," she explained.

He nodded and grinned. She was a bright child, and he felt his heart swelling with pride at his daughter. She was so talented, and he wished he could be having this conversation with her in his own body, and not in that of her history teacher.

"So, do that. Use what you feel when you think of me to inspire your painting," he said.

"Okay then. But, it might be a while before you get it. I don't do well painting with anything other than dark colors when I'm feeling depressed," she was about to begin ranting before stopping herself. "Sorry Ric, I don't mean to dump all my drama on you- I know things are tough with Jenna right now."

"No worries, darling. I should be going anyway- I have another class… now," he said as the bell rang.

She chuckled. "Good timing," she said before returning to her drawings. He noticed her notebook had words scribbled on it in their old language. He decided he'd ask her about that later.

* * *

Irina and Jeremy were walking in the cafeteria, and he asked; "Did Bonnie tell you what it's going to take for you two to do that spell?"

"Yes, she did," Irina sighed.

"And you still want to do it!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Yes, Jeremy. We have to," she stated.

"And did you two tell Elena?" he asked.

"No, and you're not going to either," she replied.

Jeremy stopped and turned to her. "Well, she's got to know you can't do it," he said.

"We don't know we can't. Have a little faith in us," Irina said.

"That's not fair, Irina. You can't harness the power of a hundred dead witches- it'll kill you," Jeremy said quietly.

Irina's eyes widened. "Shh! We don't know that for certain. You promised to keep our secret- I'm trusting you. We're going to go through with this, and if you tell anyone, I swear—" Irina whispered.

"What?" Jeremy interrupted. "What are you gonna do?"

Thankfully, Elena and Bonnie interrupted them before she had to answer that. "Hey, Jer. Are you okay, alone at the house with John?" Elena asked as Bonnie looked at Irina.

_What's wrong?_ Bonnie texted discretely to Irina.

_I'll tell you later, _Irina replied.

"I'm late for class," Jeremy said before walking away.

Elena looked confused as she sat down beside Bonnie and Irina. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I told him he had to dress up tonight, and he got all uptight," Irina lied.

Elena smiled and rolled her eyes, because she knew how Jeremy was about dressing up. Dana was making her way to their table which was odd, because Dana never really sat with them.

"Hey, Elena! There you are, okay… This is going to sound freaky, but this totally hot guy just asked me to ask you if you're going to the dance tonight," Dana said.

The three girls smiled at each other, and Bonnie said; "Tell him she has a boyfriend."

"You could at lead meet him. He'll be at the dance tonight. Look for him- his name is Klaus," Dana said.

The three girls stiffened, and Elena said; "What did you just say?"

"His name is Klaus. I know the name's stupid, but I swear he's hot," Dana said.

"Where is he? Is he here?" Irina asked as she looked around.

"I… don't know," Dana replied.

The three girls looked at her, and Bonnie said; "She's been compelled."

"But he wants to know if you'll save him the last dance. How cute is that?" Dana said.

Elena was beginning to look extremely nervous, so Irina said; "Thank you, Dana. You've delivered your message."

Dana smiled and walked away like nothing happened at all. Irina and Bonnie looked at each other, and Bonnie said; "Elena, we need to go."

"It's the middle of the school day," Elena replied.

"I don't care- we're going. Now," Irina stated before they got up and drove to the boarding house.

* * *

They arrived at the Boarding House after calling Stefan and telling him where they were going. When they got inside, they explained to Damon what happened. He got angry and aggravated. Stefan came in and they had to explain, again, what had occurred.

"See, I told you. You three should have just stayed here," he said.

"Yes, Damon. We all know you are the all-powerful mind in this operation. We would be completely lost without your guidance," Irina exclaimed- her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, as long as you've realized that," he quipped.

"So, what do we do?" Elena asked.

"Simple," Damon replied, "we go to the dance and find him."

"Really? How are we going to do that? We don't even know what he looks like," Stefan argued.

"Something tells me he's not going to be sixteen and pimply," Damon quipped.

Irina huffed. "Look, he could be _anywhere_ at _any time_. He compelled somebody at school," she said.

"Guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?" Stefan asked.

Before anyone could respond, there was a knock on the door. Alaric entered and said; "Sorry I'm late," he said.

"Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperone for the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move," Damon stated.

"Okay, so we find him and then what? Hmm? What's our plan of attack?" Elena asked.

"Us," Bonnie said as she looked to Irina. "We're the plan. He has no idea how much power we can channel. If you can find him, we can kill him," she continued.

"It's not gonna be that easy… I mean, he's the biggest- baddest vampire around," Alaric said.

"Alaric's got a point. I mean, what if he—" Damon began, before flashing towards Bonnie and Irina.

Together, they used their powers to throw Damon backwards- almost knocking a hole in the wall as they did.

"Well, I was impressed," Stefan said.

"It doesn't matter if he's and Original," Irina said. "We can take down anyone who comes at us."

"We can kill him, Elena. I know we can," Bonnie said.

They formulated the plan, and everyone left to get ready for the dance. Tonight was going to be epic.

* * *

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."  
― J.R.R. Tolkien


	12. disastrous parties

Thanks for reading!

* * *

I don't know where you came from  
And I dont know where you've gone.  
Old friends become old strangers  
Between the darkness and the dawn

- Amen Omen by Ben Harper

* * *

Bonnie and Irina were getting ready at their house. Irina was freaking out, and Bonnie was trying her best to calm her. Irina had made them both 60's go-go dancer outfits- Bonnie's in orange hues, and Irina's in blue.

"Bonnie, we need a plan," Irina said as she fixed her hair.

"We have a plan," Bonnie replied as she put on her mascara.

Irina sighed. "We're walking into this blindly, Bonnie. Klaus doesn't know what we can do, but he knows witches. He's bound to know that if we use that much power, we'll die," she said.

"We have to do this Irina. We can't back out now," Bonnie replied.

"I wasn't backing out. I just think that we need a backup plan," she explained as she applied mascara to her long lashes.

* * *

They had arrived at the dance with their respective dates. Bonnie was going to be Damon's dance partner tonight- no matter how much she disliked the idea.

"Wait," Jeremy said as they walked towards the entrance.

"We'll be inside," Bonnie said- sensing that Jeremy wanted to have a private conversation with Irina.

Jeremy took his ring off as he turned to face Irina. "Look, I want you to have this," he said as he handed it to her.

She tilted her head. "If you're asking me to go steady, I think that was the fifties," Irina said.

"No, I'm serious Irina," Jeremy said.

Irina's smile fell, and she said; "The ring won't work on me Jeremy."

"But it was made by a witch," he said.

"To protect from the supernatural- not for someone who is," Irina explained.

Jeremy sighed. "Well I have to do something. I can't just… I can't just let you get yourself killed," he said.

"Just because a bunch of dead witches gave me a warning, doesn't mean I'm gonna die," Irina said.

"So you're saying there's a fifty-fifty chance you won't? Look, I'm sorry but you know I don't have the best of luck in the girlfriend department," he said.

Irina instantly felt bad for this whole thing. She didn't want to be the cause of Jeremy's pain. "Hey… listen, I can't explain it, Jeremy. But I can feel them- we're empowered. We can do this. I know we can," she said as she gave him a hug.

* * *

Klaus kept looking around for the gang of misfits to show up. They were really stupid to think they could kill him- he found it quite humorous. He had already compelled Dana and Chad to do whatever it is he wanted them to do, and there was nothing left to do but wait. He looked to the far side of the gym, and saw Damon enter. As he continued scanning the dance floor, he saw his doppelgänger dancing with the ripper. If he only knew the times they had in the past… the song changed to _Unchained Melody_, and Klaus was happy that they were playing a relatively good song now.

His train of thought was interrupted when he saw the witches dancing close together with their respective dates. Irina was dancing with the Gilbert boy- the doppelgänger's little brother. He watched as she smiled at him- the same smile Aoife had given him so many times. She truly was special. She stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his, and Klaus felt rage flow through him.

How dare that boy think he could touch his daughter like that? Irina was _his daughter_, and no man would ever be good enough for her. Klaus wanted to kill the boy- he wanted to tear him limb from limb. He was about to go break them apart, but when they broke the kiss he stopped himself. He saw the look in Irina's eyes- and it was mirrored by the look in the Gilbert boy's.

The young boy didn't look at Irina with lust. Klaus had been alive long enough to know the difference. He looked at her as if she were a priceless gem- something he coveted, and knew the value of. Perhaps he would let her have her fun tonight, and speak with her about it when her memories returned.

The two of them continued dancing through the slow song, before it changed to _These Boots Are Made for Walkin'_ and they both smiled at each other and began dancing faster, with Bonnie and the elder Salvatore brother joining them. Eventually the doppelgänger made her way to their group, and they were all dancing together with the guys looking uncomfortable. Irina looked to where he was standing, and smiled at him.

She walked over and grabbed his hand saying; "You can dance too, Ric." He decided this was as close as he would get to father-daughter time for now, and went along with it.

* * *

They had been dancing in their group when Ric said he needed to go get something to drink, and Dana started announcing something over the speakers.

"Thanks for being here, everybody!" she announced as people began clapping. "We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Elena… from Klaus," she said.

Irina squeezed Jeremy's hand, and he put his arm around her. They all looked around trying to find him, but there was nobody here that looked unfamiliar. In fact, Irina knew absolutely everyone she laid eyes on. So where was he? Was he even here?

"That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us," Damon grumbled.

"I know everyone here," Elena said.

"Maybe he's not here, he just wants us to believe that he is," Stefan mused.

Damon rolled his eyes and said; "It's a party, people. Let's continue to blend- let him come to us."

"Good idea," Irina said as she pulled Jeremy back onto the dance floor.

"No, I really don't feel like dancing anymore," he said.

Irina gave him a playful smile and said; "Too bad."

They continued dancing, and Irina laid her head on Jeremy's chest. She felt him rest his head on hers, and she cherished the moments she had left with him. She didn't want to hurt him like this, but they had to protect Elena. She had already pledged herself to team Elena, and she was sticking to it.

The song was only halfway through when Damon came up to Jeremy and Irina. "May I?" he asked.

Jeremy looked to Bonnie to make sure it was okay, and when she nodded he said; "Sure," before walking way.

"You heard me and Jeremy talking, didn't you?" she asked Damon as they began dancing.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Irina paused and said; "Yes."

"The part about you having a fifty-fifty shot of surviving? Is that true?" he asked.

Irina paused as he spun her around, and then she said. "He was upset, I didn't want him to worry."

"So both of you- you'd lay it all on the line for Elena. No matter what," he said.

"No matter what," she replied.

"Good," was his response.

Irina waited for a moment before saying; "You can't tell her."

"Your secret's safe with me! But I mean, with all that power- isn't there a way to increase your odds?" he asked.

She smiled at him and said; "Careful Damon- I might start to think you actually care."

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" he teased.

They continued dancing, and Irina must have been deep in thought, because Damon spun her around, catching her by surprise. "What are you thinking about so hard?" he asked.

"What you said- about increasing our odds. I think there is something we can do, but only as a last resort. I'll need to talk it over with Bonnie," Irina replied.

"Well then, go," he said as he pulled two girls onto the floor to dance with him.

* * *

Irina stood beside Bonnie at a table along the side of the dance floor. She looked around for the people in their group. Ric was standing by the DJ, Elena and Jeremy were talking, and Damon was dancing with two of the sluttiest girls on the cheerleading team- of course. Stefan was talking to Caroline, so Irina assumed her blonde vampire friend knew all about what was going on.

"Bonnie, I think I might know what will increase our odds," Irina said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There is a spell we could do, but it would require some of our power to be limited," Irina explained.

"Irina, you're not making sense. What are you talking about?" Bonnie replied.

Irina sighed. "Okay, I know a spell that would make sure that- if we died fighting Klaus- we would come back within hours. We would appear dead, but we wouldn't be dead. I know it doesn't make sense, but I can't explain it any better than that," she said.

"So, get Klaus to think that we're both dead. Then we go back to being secret weapons," Bonnie whispered.

"Exactly," Irina said.

"So, where and when do we do this?" Bonnie asked.

"We can do it here and now. It's very simple and short. I just need you to be discreet about it," Irina said.

"Okay," Bonnie replied.

Irina nodded and took Bonnie's hands, but they weren't turned to face each other. They just looked like two sisters, holding hands. They drew energy from the candles on all the tables, and after saying the required words they let go of each other's hands. Irina scanned the area, and didn't see any change, other than the fact that Jeremy and Stefan were gone. They returned a few minutes later, and Elena came up to the two girls.

"I need to talk to both of you," she said.

* * *

They were outside of the school, and Irina felt extremely exposed. She didn't like it out here , but Elena needed to talk, so she was all ears.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"Because we knew how you would react!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"No. No way, it's not an option," Elena said.

"It's our _only_ option!" Irina replied.

"Then we'll find another way, okay? You two aren't dying to save my life," Elena said.

Irina sighed, and Bonnie said; "Elena, we have the power to save you! If we don't use it, and something happens that would kill us more."

"I can't let you," Elena said.

"Just answer one question;" Irina began. "If the situation were reversed, would you do it for one of us?"

Elena didn't say anything, but her expression told them everything they needed to know. She would do anything to save them if she were in their position. "So you know why we have to," Bonnie said.

Elena seemed to consider this for a moment, before saying; "No…. No!"

Before Bonnie or Irina could say anything, Alaric came running outside. "Elena…" he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"He has Jeremy," Alaric said.

"What!" they all exclaimed at the same time.

"Klaus has Jeremy, come on," he said before leading the way back into the school.

* * *

Irina, Bonnie, and Elena followed Alaric through the halls, but he seemed to just be leading them in circles.

"Where are you taking us?" Elena asked.

"Just a little further," Alaric muttered.

There was something off about him, Irina could sense it. "Something's not right," Elena said.

"Where's Jeremy?" Irina asked.

Alaric stopped and turned to them, but his expression was wrong. "I just had to get away from that dance. The sixties… ugh. Not my decade. I mean, whose call was that anyway? I much prefer the twenties. The style… the parties… the jazz," he said.

The three girls shared a confused look- what was going on with Ric?

"Alaric, are you on vervain?" Elena asked as Alaric moved towards them slowly.

He stopped dead in his tracks and said; "Now why would you ask me that question, Elena?"

"He's being compelled," Elena said.

"Nope… try again," Alaric replied.

Bonnie and Irina took a protective stance in front of Elena and Bonnie asked; "What's going on?"

Alaric exhaled dramatically, and said; "Okay, I'll give you a hint. I. Am not. Alaric."

Irina's eyes widened- this was Klaus. She should have known… what the hell was he doing in Alaric's body, and how long had he been there? He knew everything…

"Klaus," Elena breathed.

"Surprise!" Klaus said in a cheerful voice.

"Oh, no… It's not possible," Elena said.

"Just relax, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you. You're not on my hit list tonight, but you are," he said as he looked at the two witches.

He charged at them, but they threw him against the lockers. He got right back up, though, and he was chuckling. "Did I mention that I know a witch? You're gonna have to hit me a lot harder than that," he said.

He charged at them again, but was thrown backwards into a trophy display case; sending glass everywhere. Still, he chuckled as he got up. "By all means, fire away. If you kill this body, I'll just get a new one. Maybe Jeremy," he said.

Irina sent him flying backwards again for threatening Jeremy, but he got back up within seconds. She staggered a bit, and Bonnie was looking weaker too.

"Go… run," Bonnie said as she practically drug the two girls out of the hallway, closing the doors behind her.

They ran into Damon in the other hallway, who asked what happened.

"Klaus in in Alaric's body," Elena said.

"What?!" Damon asked.

"He's possessing it, or something," Bonnie said.

Damon looked to Elena. "Go find Stefan, now," he said.

As Elena ran away to look for Stefan, Damon turned his attention to the two witches in front of him. "Can you kill him?" he asked.

"He's got some kind of protection spell on him," Irina said.

"You've both got the power of a hundred dead witches- break it," he replied.

Bonnie sighed. "We're trying, but if we kill Alaric, he'll just possess somebody else," she explained.

"He knows we have our power, Damon. He's trying to kill us," Irina said.

"No. Klaus does not get to win tonight," Damon said. "Are you still willing to do whatever it takes to protect Elena?"

"Absolutely. You're the only one besides us to know this, but we're going to fight him until we die. After we're dead, you have to take us back to the spot where the witches were burned, okay?" Irina said.

"What? No, you won't die," Damon said.

"Damon, it has to be this way. Just do as we say, and we'll take it from there, okay?" Bonnie said.

"Fine. After you die, take you to the dead witches' mansion," he said.

"Very good. Now let's get to it," Irina said.

* * *

After making sure that Damon knew what to do, Bonnie and Irina made their way to the hallway they had just came out of. They walked until they got to the end- there was no sign of Klaus anywhere. They looked to their left, and saw him in the cafeteria with his feet propped up on a table.

"What took you so long?" he asked. "Now, do you wanna do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

He had a pocket knife in his hand, and it was making Irina nervous. She twisted her hand, and his wrist turned in the wrong direction. He groaned and dropped the knife. "The hard way. Got it," he said as he stood up.

Bonnie thrust her hand forward, and Klaus' arm broke.

"Would you kill your favorite history teacher?" he asked, panting from the pain.

"It's what Alaric would want," Bonnie said.

Klaus turned his attention towards Irina. "You don't have to do this, Irina. You can join me. There is so much you could do," he said.

"I'd rather die," Irina replied.

Klaus got a sad look in his eyes, and said; "So you shall."

Irina summoned all the power she could before breaking every bone she could think of. Bonnie was helping as well, but it was draining them quickly. Irina felt something warm dripping from her nose, and when she looked to Bonnie she saw the same thing. This was too much- they would die soon. Hopefully the spell they cast was enough.

"Look at you," Klaus said. "Is that all you got?"

Bonnie took Irina's hand in her own and squeezed it slightly. "Let's find out," she said.

They both focused all their energy on Klaus. The electricity began to flicker, and wind began to howl in the cafeteria. Papers were flying everywhere, and Klaus was writhing on the ground. Irina knew her face was covered with blood- she could taste it as it got in her mouth- but she was so focused that she didn't realize how disgusting it was.

Elena and Stefan arrived at the door to the cafeteria, but Irina closed it with magic so it wouldn't open.

"Bonnie… Irina, no!" Elena yelled.

She turned back to face Klaus, who was trying his best to stand. They both gathered all their energy, and tried not to focus on Elena and Stefan's banging on the door behind them. They blasted Klaus with more magic, and he cried out in pain again. They were both almost drained at this moment, and they knew that the next wave of magic would be it.

Irina gave Bonnie a discreet nod, and they both turned to look at Elena, before blasting Klaus with all the magic they had. Bonnie was the first to collapse, followed quickly by Irina. Everything went black, and she felt happy as she drifted into the blackness.

* * *

When Irina first regained consciousness, the first thing she became aware of was sound. She heard voices- Bonnie and Jeremy, to be exact- discussing… her.

"Why is it taking so long for her to wake up?" Jeremy asked.

"She was more powerful than me to begin with, and she used a lot more power than I did. It will take her longer to wake up," Bonnie explained.

Jeremy sighed, and Irina felt someone caress her face. "I just need to know that she will be okay," he said.

"You really do care for her, don't you," Bonnie said.

There was a pause, and Irina thought Jeremy wasn't going to answer, but then he said; "Yeah. I really do. I care for her more than I've cared for anyone."

"She has always had a soft spot for you Jeremy. I was so happy to see you on good terms again," Bonnie said.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked.

Bonnie sighed. "She didn't say anything, but I know my sister- almost better than she knows herself. When you started helping me with my magic, she almost seemed… jealous," she answered.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," Bonnie said.

Irina had heard enough of this conversation. It was taking a turn for the worst. She let her eyes flutter open, and took a deep breath. Jeremy was sitting right next to her, and smiled when he saw she was awake. Bonnie was there in a second, tackling her with a hug. Irina laughed as she hugged Bonnie back. Jeremy was next, and he kissed her forehead when he pulled her into a hug.

She let go of him eventually, but kept close by his side anyway. They spoke to Elena over the internet, and she was so relieved that they were okay. Irina kept apologizing, but Elena wouldn't hear any of it. She wasn't angry at them. Jeremy had brought them pillows, and blankets, and they were all set to stay here until it was time for Klaus to be killed.

* * *

Klaus paced back-and-forth in his apartment. It was almost time for him to be returned to his own body, but he still had more havoc to cause first. He felt like breaking down and crying, but he wouldn't do that. His impulsiveness- the one thing that Mikael had always berated him about- was the one thing that had gotten his daughter killed. He had just killed his own daughter- he was the worst of all the monsters. He paced back and forth, trying to stop thinking about it, but everything reminded him of her. The green apples in the kitchen- the only kind she would ever eat. The smell of lilacs outside during the day- it reminded him of a time when she had found her mother's perfume bottle, and accidentally spilled it. That was the only time he had ever gotten upset at her, and he still hated himself for yelling at her that day.

He never got the chance to find out what would return her memories to her. She would never remember that he was her father... but may be it was better that way. He was a monster now, and she deserved so much better. He had also killed the Bennett witch- Ayanna's descendant. He didn't care so much about that, but he knew Irina cared for her. He saw a sketchpad sitting on the table next to the sofa. He recognized it as the one Irina used when she was stuck here. He had compelled her to forget, and thankfully it worked. He opened it, and flipped through the pages. There were pictures of her friends. She had pictures of animals that she drew, and she had several of the Gilbert boy. Apparently she had a thing for him.

He flipped the page again, and froze. There, in all its perfection, was a scene from her childhood. It was her and her mother playing in the field near their home. It was spring, and there were wildflowers- she had colored those in. She had left the two of them in black-and-white, except for their eyes. She had actually gotten the color of her mother's eyes right. They were hazel- almost gold- and they were beautiful. She was so talented, and it upset him that he had taken that away from the world.

* * *

"If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character...Would you slow down? Or speed up?"  
― Chuck Palahniuk


	13. in the loop

_Well that was embarrassing. lol! My chapters are strangely numbered. Apologies, and thank you for the reviews! _

* * *

And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck  
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet  
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now

- Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran

* * *

Irina and Bonnie had been kept in the loop by frequent texts and phone calls from Stefan, Damon, Elena, and whoever else was in on all of this. Elena had undaggered Elijah, who had explained that he had an elixir that would help her. That was all well and good, except Damon- being the eternal idiot that he is- fed her his blood and now they were searching for a spell that would stop her from transitioning.

Irina kept looking through the oldest grimoire they had, and she found the only entry that mentioned anything at all about vampires. She read through it, and even though it wouldn't help Elena, she memorized it for future use. It could help Stefan or Damon if they got… fatally wounded by something. It took a ton of power, though, so she would need to draw from a large source of power.

"This is pointless. There has to be something in here to keep Elena from becoming a vampire," Jeremy said.

"And we'll keep looking," Bonnie said. "Until the last minute."

They kept looking until Irina got bored with the grimoire she had, and she moved to sit next to Jeremy. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he smiled at her. "Which one are you reading?" she asked.

"Emily Bennett's- it has a section of spells she did for my ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert," he said.

Irina smirked as Bonnie looked between them and said; "Yeah, I think she had a thing for him."

Jeremy and Irina chuckled, and he turned his attention back to the grimoire. "There's something on resuscitative spells she was working on," Jeremy said.

"I saw that too," Irina said. "She just didn't explain what it did exactly."

"Maybe Jonathan Gilbert wrote about it in his journals," Bonnie said.

Jeremy nodded and said; "I could have Stefan bring them."

Irina and Bonnie both heard the door to the basement open, and they turned their heads towards the stairs. "Someone's here," Bonnie said.

Alaric appeared in front of them, and Irina still felt nervous around him, but she knew she didn't have to worry around him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"Elijah and Stefan are upstairs. Do you mind if I have a second with Jeremy?" Alaric asked.

Bonnie and Irina shared a look, before Bonnie said; "Yeah, sure. Of course." She stood, and helped Irina stand up too, and they both went upstairs to see Elijah and Stefan.

The two girls met them outside, and Stefan explained what was going on. Jenna had been turned and taken to use in the sacrifice. She would be killed soon if they didn't do something, and Irina's mind drifted to the spell she had seen in the grimoire. It could be helpful, after they killed Klaus.

"Why did they take Jenna?" Bonnie asked.

"A punishment for meddling," Elijah explained.

"Klaus was going to use Tyler and Caroline. Damon rescued them," Stefan clarified.

"Then we need to go. Now, before Jenna's been sacrificed. We can kill Klaus ourselves," Bonnie said.

Stefan shook his head, and said; "Bonnie, if you use that much power, you will both die. We've already been through this- it's not an option."

"Neither is letting Jenna die!" Irina exclaimed.

"Well, Stefan would agree with you," Elijah said, which only served to confuse them more.

"We're going to offer another vampire. One that he'll want more- me," Stefan explained.

* * *

After arguing with Stefan for a while, and finally accepting that his fate was inevitable, they went back into the basement. Irina was keeping an eye on Jeremy, who seemed to be blocking everything out and focusing only on helping Elena.

"I brought the Gilbert journals," John said. "I think I know the spell you're talking about."

"Where's Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"Upstairs- Alaric wanted to talk to him," John replied.

Damon came downstairs moments later, and he didn't look well. There was definitely something off, but Irina decided not to worry about it at the moment. She would ask him about it later. She didn't feel like reading through all of the journals, so she found the one John though held the story they were after, and placed it on the table. Everyone stood around as she closed her eyes, and the pages began flipping. It stopped on an entry from the late eighteen-hundreds.

"I think I found it," Irina said.

John took the journal and read over the story, before saying; "Yeah, I think this is it."

"What does it say?" Jeremy asked.

"Jonathan Gilbert journaled the story of a mother who called upon Emily's services. The woman's baby was sick; dying. Emily cast a spell that would bind the woman's life force with her child's," John said.

"Skip to the save Elena part," Damon ordered.

John sighed. "Well, the child died, but the mother's life force flowed through her, restoring her to life," he said.

"We already know Elena's going to come back to life, but she'll be a vampire," Jeremy said.

"Not if her soul remains intact," Irina replied.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Her soul… really?" he said. "You're putting your faith into some 'Act of God' stuff that a witch wrote down over a century ago?"

"I refuse to let Elena become the thing I've spent my life protecting her against. And you can call that God, or mystical energy, or whatever you want- but yes, I'm putting my faith in it," John said.

Bonnie set up what she needed, because it wouldn't take both of them to do the spell, and began chanting. Damon- being his annoying self- kept trying to rush her, and it was beginning to get on Irina's nerves. Finally, Bonnie finished, and they made their way towards the stairs.

"We'll be back soon," Irina said.

"What do you mean? I need to be there- I need to make sure you guys are safe," Jeremy said.

"And who's gonna make sure you're safe?" Bonnie asked.

"I've got my ring," Jeremy replied.

Irina shook her head, and leaned in to kiss him. When she pulled away, she made sure he would fall into a deep sleep for a while. John caught him and helped him into a chair before saying; "Go, I'll stay with him."

They left the mansion and made their way to the ritual site.

* * *

They arrived just as Klaus was transforming into a werewolf. They began walking down the hill and chanting in Latin like they were supposed to. Each kept a tight hold on the other's hand to share the power and make themselves stronger. Klaus' witch was about to do something to stop them, but Damon snapped her neck. They continued down the hill, and Klaus was thrown another fifty-feet.

"No! You were dead… you were both dead," Klaus said.

The wind was picking up, and the lightning kept cracking in the distance. The fire was almost unbearable, but the power flowing through her was incredible. They were more prepared this time, and they were fueled by their anger. Elijah arrived, and they stopped their chanting. Bonnie and Stefan stayed to watch as he killed Klaus, but Irina ran to Jenna's side. She moved her body out of Klaus' view, and yanked the stake from her heart.

The sight of Jenna dead and grey was almost too much for her to bear, but she had to bear it. Grams once said that many things can fuel a witch's power- anger, worry… so why couldn't sadness fuel it as well. Irina sighed as she began chanting the spell she memorized back at the mansion.

As she chanted, she picked up a rock and cut into her wrist, before placing it to Jenna's mouth. She let the blood flow as she continued to chant, and she noticed that the color was returning to Jenna's face. Irina was feeling lightheaded, but she continued with the spell. Jenna was completely normal in color again, and she felt the fangs puncture her skin as Jenna began to drink. She was losing blood quickly, but she still continued chanting until the spell was finished.

Once it was finished, Jenna's eyes opened. When she saw Irina and realized what was happening, she let go. Irina peeked around the altar, and noticed that Stefan and Bonnie were gone.

"Irina, how did that happen? What's going on?" Jenna asked.

"Shh… Jenna, we have to get home. Like now," Irina said as she tried to stand.

She was shaky, but she would be okay once she got home. She took Jenna's hand and pulled her along to her car. Bonnie's car was gone, so she could only assume that she had taken Stefan and went back to the mansion. She opened the passenger side door, and after Jenna was in the car, she ran to the driver's side and floored it. There were only a few places they could go. Jenna was a vampire now, so there was really only one place they could go.

* * *

Now that Elena was technically dead, the Boarding House was no longer in her name. Jenna could enter or exit no problem. They arrived, and Irina took Jenna upstairs to the bathroom and told her to shower while Irina went to lay out clothes for her. She got a few blood bags from the cooler in the basement, and brought them upstairs. Jenna had already gotten out of the shower, and gotten dressed.

"Can you please explain to me what happened?" she asked.

Irina nodded. "Yes. The sacrifice happened, as planned. You were killed as part of said sacrifice- as was Elena," she said.

"So, Elena is…"

"No- at least, not for long. John had us do a spell, so that when she died, his life force would be used to resuscitate her," Irina explained.

"How am I alive?" Jenna asked.

Irina sighed. "Technically, you're not. Technically, you are a vampire- and a very young one. I helped bring you back to life, so to speak," she explained.

"Why?" Jenna asked.

"Because you have always been kind to me, and I consider you my friend. And also because I love Jeremy and Elena, and they need you," she answered.

"Thank you," Jenna said.

* * *

Irina called Bonnie and told her to bring a ring made of Lapis Lazuli to the Boarding House. Bonnie didn't even ask why, she just did. When Irina got the ring, she asked Bonnie to bring Elena and Jeremy here when Elena woke up- there was a surprise she had to show them. Bonnie agreed, and now all that was left to do was wait. While they were waiting, Irina spelled the ring that had been in the top drawer of her jewelry box.

"What does this do?" Jenna asked.

"This is a ring that will allow you to walk in the sun without burning. You must _never_ take it off," Irina said.

"Okay. Thank you," Jenna said.

"You're welcome. Now, how do you feel?" Irina asked.

Jenna sighed. "I feel like myself, but like I told Elena- everything is different. She told me to shut my emotions off, but I can feel now. When I turned the emotions off, I couldn't feel," she explained.

Irina nodded. "Yes. You have a fresh start now. I can't tell you what to do, but it would be better to keep them turned on. Stefan told me that someone explained it like this; as a vampire, your emotions are heightened. When you hurt, you _really _hurt. However, when you love or feel happiness, it's the best feeling in the world," she explained.

Jenna nodded, and looked at the blood bag in her hand. Irina could tell she wanted to rip into it and devour the whole thing, but she was restraining herself. "Jenna, you can use the straw attached to the blood bag. It's less messy," Irina said.

"It's just so strange. I won't… offend you or anything, if I drink this?" she asked.

Irina smiled, and said; "No. Just don't drink me, and I won't judge."

Jenna laughed and began drinking from the blood bag. Minutes later, the front door opened, and Bonnie called for Irina. Irina told Jenna to wait at the top of the stairs, and listen for her cue.

* * *

Irina made her way down the stairs and into the den, where Elena and Jeremy were sitting on the sofa. Bonnie was holding Elena's hand in a comforting gesture, and Stefan and Damon had both broken into the scotch. Irina ran straight to Elena and gave her the biggest hug she could manage.

When she broke the hug, Bonnie asked; "What happened to you? Where did you go?"

"I had something to take care of," Irina said.

"Did you bury Jenna? Her body was gone?" Stefan asked.

Irina sighed. "Not exactly. Can you come in here please?" she said loud enough for Jenna to hear.

They waited as they heard footsteps getting closer to the den. Irina stepped back as Jenna appeared around the corner. There was a dead silence- absolutely no one said a word. Jenna stood there looking at everyone, and Irina was shocked by how similar their expressions were. Everyone was wide-eyed and looked like they had just seen a ghost. Even Damon looked surprised- as well as sick. What was wrong with him?

Jenna cleared her throat, and said; "Hi," in a quiet voice.

Elena was the first to recover from the shock, and she jumped up to give Jenna a hug. There were tears flowing down her face, and Jenna started to cry as well. Even Jeremy had tears in his eyes as he moved Elena out of the way and embraced Jenna. He seemed to realize she was still a vampire, and needed her space.

"How is this possible?" Bonnie asked.

"You should thank Irina, you guys. She did some sort of spell thingy- I am very grateful," Jenna said.

"It was a spell I found when I was looking for a way to make sure Elena stayed human. It was a way to bring back a staked vampire, within thirty minutes of their death, but it takes a lot of energy," she explained. "If there wasn't a full moon and a wall of flames, I probably couldn't have done it."

Elena ran to Irina and gave her a huge hug- a vampire couldn't squeeze someone that hard. "Okay… Elena. I can't… breathe," Irina managed to say.

"Thank you, Irina. Thank you so much," Elena said.

Irina smiled and nodded her head. "I am going to go home now, because I am literally about to fall over, so goodnight everyone," she said.

"Goodnight," they all said.

* * *

Jeremy walked Irina outside to her car. He waited until they reached the vehicle, and he took Irina's hand in his own. He looked down at her with an expression she had never seen on his face before. He reached up and cupped her face with his other hand before leaning down to kiss her.

This wasn't just any kiss, though. She had kissed Jeremy before, and it was always loving and nice, but this… this was pure passion. She had never been kissed like this before, and she honestly didn't want it to stop. She let her fingers grasp his hair and try to pull him as close as she could. Her lips parted, and he let his tongue explore her mouth, and she did the same. This could have lasted for hours, or days, and she wouldn't have noticed. Time had no meaning in this moment. When they broke apart- both breathing heavily- he rested his forehead on hers.

She opened her eyes, and saw him looking at her with what could only be described as love and adoration. Her blue eyes were piercing into his warm brown eyes, and she wanted to stay in this moment forever. Someone cleared their throat, and they turned to see Elena and Jenna with smirks on their faces. The two of them broke apart, and Irina got in her car while Jeremy made his way back to the Boarding house. Irina's mind didn't leave the kiss she had just experienced, and she honestly couldn't tell you how she got home.

* * *

"Kiss me, and you will see how important I am."  
― Sylvia Plath


	14. heavy in your arms

_Okay, I went back and fixed the last chapter! You'll get a two-for-one special today. lol. Thanks for reading! _

* * *

Tonight  
We are young  
So let's set the world on fire  
We can burn brighter than the sun

- We Are Young by Fun.

* * *

Irina was walking with Jeremy in town square where people were gathering to watch _Gone With the Wind_ on the large, outdoor movie screen. She loved this movie- it was one of her favorites- and she had to bring Jeremy along. Elena was still with Jenna at the Gilbert residence, but she would meet them there later, and Caroline would be arriving soon with the picnic basket. Bonnie was busy with Stefan, trying to find a cure for a werewolf bite.

"I can't believe you dragged me to see a girl movie," Jeremy said.

Irina smirked and said; "Caroline isn't the only one who channels Scarlett daily."

Jeremy helped her with the blanket, and she smiled when he sat down and pulled her with him. He kissed her- again- and she felt herself blush. She was certain that she would constantly keep butterflies in her stomach.

"Hey! There you guys are!" Caroline exclaimed as she made her way to their group. "Who's hungry?" she asked.

"Are we really doing this?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes, we are really doing this. We are going to take a page from Scarlett. We made it through the war. Everyone has been through Hell this past month, you guys especially, and my mom knows I am a vampire. So basically, it's like Atlanta has burned- and yet, in spite of everything, we persevere," Caroline said with a smile.

Jeremy just stared at her before sighing. "All right. What are we eating?" he asked.

"Something good, I hope," Irina said as she reached for the picnic basket.

* * *

Only moments after Stefan and Bonnie showed up, Elena arrived. She said that Jenna was perfectly fine and inside the house, finishing her thesis. Only moments after Elena arrived, she went to speak with Stefan. Irina could tell something was wrong, but she wasn't going to press the issue. She was going to have a worry free night with her boyfriend and her best friends.

"All this waiting around for news is ruining Scarlett for me," Caroline whispered.

Jeremy's phone vibrated, and he answered it. "Alaric, hey," he said.

Irina couldn't tell what Alaric was saying, and all she had to go by was Jeremy's reactions.

"She went to go see Damon. I thought that's where you were," Jeremy said.

Caroline's eyes went wide and Irina knew she had heard what Alaric said. _What's going on? _Irina mouthed.

_Damon has escaped. _Caroline replied.

Bonnie and Irina looked at each other, and stood up when Jeremy did. "If Damon is off the rails there is nothing you can do to stop him. Let us take care of this," Bonnie said.

"You keep doing this! You left me behind before, and guess what; Jenna and Elena were both killed. Just because they're both back now doesn't change that fact. Now I'm going to find my sister. Don't even try to stop me," he said.

"If we split up we can cover more ground. Keep in touch with cell phones, okay?" Irina said before running to catch up with Jeremy.

* * *

Jeremy and Irina stayed together and searched everywhere for Damon. There was no sign of him- which could actually be a good thing. It means he hasn't killed anyone… yet.

"Damon lived in the 1860's. All of these costumes are probably not helping," Irina said.

Jeremy didn't say anything, he just kept looking around for Damon- he was ignoring her now. She sighed and took his hand in hers to make him stop walking.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Jeremy… I'm sorry that I made you feel like I left you behind. You have to understand that, if you went in there, I wouldn't have been able to protect you. I know you have your ring, but it's not good to rely on that and throw caution to the wind. I love you, Jeremy, and I refuse to let you die because you want to be a hero! So if you want to be angry at me, that's fine, but at least you're alive," she said.

He looked her in the eyes for a long moment, and then sighed. "I'm not angry at you, Irina. I just feel so useless," he said.

"You're not useless. I promise," she said.

He leaned in to kiss her, and then they continued to search for Damon.

"There he is," Irina said, pointing in the direction of a statue.

"Damon!" Jeremy shouted as he ran to the vampire's side.

Damon looked around, like someone was missing. "Where's Elena- I need to see Elena now," he said.

"Okay, but let's get you out of here first," Irina said.

Irina and Jeremy helped Damon into the Grill, and closed the door behind them. Jeremy called Caroline to tell them where they were, and Irina turned to see Sherriff Forbes with a gun aimed directly at Damon.

"Sherriff, no!" Irina said.

Damon flashed out of there just as she pulled the trigger, and the wooden bulled sailed through the air and hit Jeremy directly in the chest.

"No!" Irina screamed as she went to his side. "No, Jeremy… no…" she said over and over again.

This couldn't be happening. She rarely accepted people into her circle of close friends- it was pretty much Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie… that was all- but Jeremy had worked his way into her heart. There was no help for it- she loved him. And now he was bleeding out on a restaurant floor. She wanted to scream and throw something, but she kept a level head. The tears were pouring down her face, and she couldn't stop them.

Bonnie and Caroline arrived moments later, and rushed to his side. "Mom, what did you do?" Caroline asked.

"I was aiming for Damon," Liz answered.

"He still has his ring," Caroline said.

"She's human, the ring won't work!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Caroline understood what this meant, so she bit into her wrist and put it against Jeremy's mouth. "Come on, Jeremy. Drink…" she said.

"What are you doing?" Liz asked.

"I'm helping him!" Caroline said.

"Jeremy, drink… please!" Irina cried.

It wasn't working, and the four of them were beginning to break down in tears. Alaric arrived a short while later, and took in the scene before him.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" he asked, but when he saw Jeremy he said; "Oh, my God."

"I know what I need to do," Irina said. "I need you to grab him."

"No, no, no, you can't move him. This is a crime scene," the sheriff said.

"Mom! You let them go," Caroline said.

They left the Grill as fast as they could, and took Jeremy to the house protected by the spirits. Hopefully they would still help her, even after Bonnie's stunt earlier in the day.

* * *

Bonnie stayed behind so the spirits wouldn't be negatively influenced by her presence. They thought she was abusing their power, so they cut her off. Irina had explained what she was going to do as Alaric carried Jeremy into the mansion.

"Is this even possible?" Alaric asked.

"There's a spell for it, if they'll give me the power to use it," Irina replied.

Irina took Jeremy's head and cradled it in her hands. She began speaking the words in Latin, and she felt the power coursing through her. She heard the spirits speaking, and it didn't sound good.

"No…" Irina said.

"What is it?" Alaric asked.

Irina choked back a sob as she said; "They're angry at me for coming here. They don't want to help."

"Well, they have to," Alaric said.

"They said there'll be consequences," Irina replied.

"Well, he's just a kid. Tell 'em to shut up," Alaric replied.

Irina decided then and there that she would bring him back- even if it meant draining herself of all energy. She started chanting again, only this time it was louder. The flames from the candles shot higher, and the room began to shake. She didn't stop though. The spirits were fighting her, but she needed to do this.

She felt the familiar sensation of blood running down her face, and she knew her nose was bleeding. The spirits were becoming angrier.

"Emily! I know you're there!" she shouted through her tears. "Please help me! I love him!"

The shaking began to die down, and suddenly all the candles went out and it was completely quiet.

"No!" she cried as she wiped the blood from her face.

She held onto him, and she refused to let go. She was sobbing now, and it was a heart wrenching sound. Suddenly, Jeremy gasped and his eyes flew open.

"Irina?" he asked.

"Oh my gosh! Jeremy!" she exclaimed.

She hugged him as best as she could, and he said; "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter," she whispered. "You're okay."

"Yeah…" Jeremy said.

"Thank you," she said as she looked up.

* * *

After Irina took Jeremy home, and assured Jenna that he really was okay, she took herself home and took a well-deserved shower. After she was clean, and dressed in her pajamas, and ready for bed, she called Jeremy using her video messenger.

"Hey," he said when he answered.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to figure out what's wrong with me," he replied. "I feel different. Weird," he said.

"Yeah, you were dead. It'd be weird if you felt normal," Irina replied.

"Irina, I don't know how to thank you," Jeremy said.

Irina smirked and let her tone become playful. "You can thank me tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that…" she said. "Goodnight Jeremy."

"Goodnight," he said before turning off the video chat.

* * *

Irina was ready to crawl into bed when she got a text on her cell phone- from Stefan.

_Come to Alaric's apartment- we need to talk._

Irina was completely confused, but if Stefan needed her help, she would give it.

_Okay, let me get dressed first. I'll be there in ten…_

She went to her closet and pulled on a pair of her favorite jeans and a t-shirt. She left a note for Bonnie and went to her car. She had no clue what Stefan wanted at Alaric's apartment, but she would find out one way or another. She pulled into the parking space by his building, and ran up the stairs. The sooner she knew what he wanted, the sooner she could go home and sleep.

She knocked on the door, and heard Katherine say; "Come in."

She rolled her eyes and entered the apartment, only to freeze when she saw Klaus there. "What's he doing here?" she asked with disgust.

"Oh come now, love. Don't be like that. We have some negotiating to do," he said.

It went against her better judgment, but if he wanted to speak to her, he would find a way. She would prefer it not be around her loved ones, so she entered the apartment and closed the door. She composed her face into a stoic mask, and asked; "What do we need to negotiate?"

"Damon's health, of course. He is the one dying of a werewolf bite," Klaus said.

"And I suppose you know a cure," Irina said.

Klaus smirked and pulled Katherine beside him. She protested, but he ignored her completely. He let his eyes change- they were gold instead of red- and his fangs elongated. He bit into Katherine's wrist, and she was infected with werewolf venom. Then, he bit into his own wrist, and fed her his blood- making the werewolf bit heal almost instantly.

"Oh, of course. Your blood is the cure," she quipped.

"That's right, darling. Now, let's make a deal," Klaus said. He put his hand on her shoulder and guided her to a chair before sitting across from her.

He studied her for a moment, before asking; "So what is your relationship with Damon?"

"What do you mean?" Irina asked.

Klaus chuckled. "I mean, you don't seem like you to be best friends with someone like Damon," he explained.

Irina sighed. "We have developed a very… interesting relationship, based on restraining our shared urges to kill each other," she quipped.

Klaus laughed and seemed quite pleased with her answer. "You have fire, that's for sure," he said.

"Aw, I'm blushing," she jested.

He looked at her very seriously. "Very well then, let's get down to it. The terms for this agreement are simple. Stefan returns to his ripper state, and comes with me. And you, my dear Irina, come with me as well," he said.

"Why do you need me?" she asked.

"As I've said before- you're a very powerful witch. I would benefit from having you around," he explained.

She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you certain that's all?" she asked, because she could sense the half-truth to the statement.

He furrowed his brow and said; "Of course, why do you ask?" he said.

Katherine cleared her throat as she came to sit next to Irina. "You should know that this one here can sense lies. It's how she always knows I'm not Elena," she said.

Irina looked down at her hands- playing up the role of sad best friend. "Yeah, well… I guess I won't have to worry about that anymore," she mumbled.

Klaus turned his head to the side as if he were studying her, and said; "Enough of the chit-chat. Stefan has agreed, but will you?"

Irina studied him for a moment, and set her jaw. If he thought he was getting off this easily he had another thing coming. "If I agree, I have conditions of my own," she said.

He smirked and said; "And why should I accept your conditions?"

"If I go with you, I am giving up _everything. _My sister, my boyfriend, my job, my senior year… everything. So pardon me for thinking I should get a little more from the deal," she said.

He seemed to think this over, and said; "Very well. What are your conditions?"

"Aside from Damon getting the cure, I would like to be allowed to leave a note for my sister, explaining everything," she began.

"Granted, and…" he said.

She sighed. "And, I would like to be allowed to either wear or ingest vervain. I don't like being compelled- I never have. And, if I have vervain in my system it will stop Stefan from going all ripper on me… maybe," she said.

He seemed to think about it, and then said; "Very well then. Anything else?"

She thought for a moment, and then got a brilliant idea. If she was going to give up everything, he could give up something as well. "One last thing, and then my conditions are finished," she said. He motioned for her to continue, and she said; "As long as I am in your possession, Katherine goes free."

"Absolutely not," he said.

"Come on… what's the big deal? She ran from you for centuries, and you still found her. Once you no longer want me around, you can go find her again, but I honestly don't want to see her tortured on a daily basis. Besides… isn't that the best kind of torture- making someone run, never able to stay in one place for long? She would always be looking over her shoulder, always wondering if today was the day she would be found by you, or your little foot soldiers…" she said.

He seemed to think on this for a moment, and she could see that he was actually considering it. "You obviously have a mind for torture, my dear. Very well, I will consent to your conditions. But you should know mine," he said.

"Very well, what are they?" she asked.

He smirked and said; "You will stay with me, and you will not run. You will be pleasant, and you will help me when I ask. I will leave this town behind, and your friends and family can continue living their lives in peace, but you must do everything I say. And, once you are free, you will do one of your little locator spells on Katherine."

"Fine," she said.

"Exellent," he said as he handed his blood to Katherine. "Take this to Damon."

"You want me to leave?" she asked.

"Yes," Klaus said. "And if I were you…"

Katherine flashed out of the apartment before he could even finish his sentence. Stefan and Irina looked at each other and said; "No…"

"She's not going to take it to him. She's probably halfway to Mexico by now!" Irina shouted.

Klaus just shrugged and sat down, waiting for Stefan to finish his transition into the ripper.

* * *

Irina let herself back into her house, but she couldn't stay. Klaus was waiting outside in a car, so she had to hurry. She had written the letter before she left Ric's apartment, and she needed to place it where Bonnie would see it. She placed it on the kitchen counter, where Bonnie always fixed her cereal in the morning. Then, she went to her room and packed a bag, just as she was instructed to do.

She couldn't pack much, but she didn't really need to. She grabbed anything that meant something to her- pictures, books, her diary- and packed them into her small suitcase before taking one last look around her home. She left as quietly as she entered. She was Klaus' servant now, and it would be a long time before she would be allowed to return to her home.

She went back to the SUV, which drove them to a storage facility. Elijah was daggered- in a coffin- and she actually felt sad. She had connected with him, for some reason. She stood to the side as his coffin was placed with the others. There were five total, and Irina wondered who were in the other four.

"Are we done here?" she asked.

"Not quite," Klaus said. "You see, I've brought Stefan here a little gift."

He called for someone to come out of hiding. It was a girl- around Irina's age- who looked absolutely terrified.

"You see, I want to make sure you'll honor our deal. That you'll be of use to me," Klaus said as he bit into the girl's neck. "I could've compelled her to behave, but a real ripper enjoyed the hunt."

The girl cried out in pain, and Irina had to turn away. She didn't want to see this, but it would be worse for the girl if she stopped him. Klaus let go of her, and the girl ran away screaming. Stefan was in front of her in an instant, and he bit down on her neck and fed until she died.

"Now we can go," Klaus said.

* * *

Bonnie woke up to the sunlight coming in through her window. She stretched and sighed- hopefully today would be better now that Klaus was gone. She went to fix her cereal, and noticed that Irina wasn't awake yet. She had done a huge spell, so Bonnie decided to let her sleep. She saw an envelope on the counter, and it was addressed to her. She picked it up and opened it, seeing a page full of Irina's perfect script.

_Bonnie, _

_As you know, Damon was bitten by a werewolf last night, and Stefan went to find the cure. It turns out Klaus was the key- his blood is the cure for a werewolf bite. He made a deal with me and Stefan- if we would go with him, Damon would get the cure. We both agreed to save Damon, so I have to uphold my end of the bargain. He gave the cure to Katherine to take to Damon, so I'm not sure if he got it or not. Please tell Jeremy that I love him, and I'll return as soon as I can. This will be a good thing- Elena will be safe, and Klaus will never know that she is still alive. Please make sure Jeremy stays safe. I'll contact everyone as often as I can. I love you all so much. _

_Love, Irina. _

Bonnie let the letter fall to the ground as tears came to her eyes. Her sister- the one person who was always there for her- was gone. She had traded her life for Damon's. Who knows when they would see each other again? Bonnie let the tears fall as she ran to get her phone and call Jeremy.

* * *

"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting."  
― J.M. Barrie


	15. who am i

_Thank you all for your patience and reviews! :D _

* * *

"Why is my reflection someone I don't know?"  
- Reflection, Christina Aguilera

* * *

Three months- that's how long Irina had been with Klaus and Stefan on their little killing spree up and down the East coast. She had only been able to contact Jeremy once, and that was a month into their little trip. Klaus and Stefan were killing people, and she was waiting in the car, so she video called him on her phone. She couldn't call him when Klaus was around, because he might say something about Elena, and _that_ would lead to problems. He had informed her that they were still looking for them, and that he loved her and couldn't wait until she returned.

Now, she found herself in a bar- in Tennessee. Stefan had just gone all ripper on two werewolves, and Irina was happy she was allowed to stay in the car. She had been helping them torture werewolves for the location of their packs, and she was actually good at it, but she didn't like doing it. It wasn't her- this wasn't what she was meant to do. She felt so guilty afterwards, but she kept it all inside. She was letting her darker side take over, and she didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

She was sitting in a bar called Southern Comfort, waiting for Ray Sutton to arrive. According to Klaus' reliable sources, he was always here. Stefan and Klaus were waiting on the sidelines to see if he'd really show. She was sitting there, shooting down every guy that came to talk to her, when the bartender said; "'Sup Ray?"

"Hey Red. Can I get a beer?" Ray asked as he came to sit by Irina.

She looked to Stefan, who gave her a thumbs up signal, and she turned on her flirty-mode. "Well hi there," she said.

Ray looked at her and smiled. "Hey there little lady. What's your name?" he asked.

Irina smirked playfully and shook her head. "Not unless you tell me yours first," she said.

He smiled and extended his hand. "Ray Sutton," he said as he shook her hand.

"Perfect," she said before twisting his wrist to the left, and then snapping her fingers to alert Klaus and Stefan.

Klaus came up beside him, and said; "Ray Sutton?"

"Who wants to know?" Ray asked.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. We started in Florida, Pensacola. I met a young chap there who you worked with before moving to Memphis. Now, he directed me to two _lovely_ young women, who led me here to you," Klaus said.

"I've gotta be going," Ray said as he turned to leave, but Klaus stopped him.

"Not so fast mate. You only just got here," he said.

"Your kind are very hard to come by," Irina quipped, and Ray turned to leave.

Stefan was behind him, and blocked his path. "I wouldn't do that," he said.

"Vampires," Ray guessed.

"You're so close, Ray. Yes, he is a vampire," Irina said, pointing to Stefan. "But I'm not."

"Then what the hell are you?" he asked.

Irina sent him flying into the wall without so much as lifting a hand. "Watch your language, please. I'll give you one guess as to what I am…" she said.

"You're a witch," he replied.

"Very good! So, we have a vampire, a witch, and something else…" Irina said.

Klaus stepped up beside Ray and explained that he was a hybrid; half-werewolf, half-vampire. Ray looked absolutely shocked and slightly disgusted. Irina had already had enough for the day, and went to sit at a table while Stefan played a little game with Ray called 'Truth-or-Wolfsbane'. She pulled out her phone and started going through pictures of her and her friends. Most of them were from Mystic Falls, before everything happened. Then, she got to the pictures she thought she had deleted. She was supposed to delete them a long time ago, but something made her keep them.

She looked up and saw a dark-haired woman leave after speaking to Klaus, and Stefan made his way to speak to the hybrid. She turned her attention back to the phone as Stefan left the bar, and Klaus came to sit beside Irina.

* * *

Klaus made his way to sit beside Irina. She had a sad expression on her face, and he saw that she was looking through photos of her and her friends. One was her, the other witch, a lovely little blonde, and the doppelgänger- they were all in their cheerleading uniforms. Another was the blonde and Irina in Civil-War Era attire, and she looked lovely.

Then, she froze on a picture of her and some boy. It wasn't the Gilbert boy, though- which shocked Klaus. After seeing them together at the dance, he was certain they had been together for quite some time. The way he looked at her was with pure love, and that took time to grow. So, who was this other guy?

"Who's that?" Klaus asked indifferently.

She sighed and deleted the picture from her phone. "Ex-boyfriend," she said as she went to take Stefan's place.

He watched as she pulled the darts from Ray's head and neck area, and led him to the pool table. She made him lay down, saying that she would be able to heal him, and Klaus was amazed at her willingness to ruin his plan.

"I don't recall giving permission to heal him," Klaus said as she grabbed her glass of water from the table.

"I don't recall asking for it," she replied.

He was about to reply when she stood directly above where his head was. She dipped her fingers in the water and placed them on his temples. She began chanting, but Klaus noticed that he wasn't healing. If she wasn't healing him, then what on Earth was she doing? Ray was losing consciousness, and his eyes rolled back in his head. When she spoke again, she seemed to be in a trance of some sort- as did Ray.

"What was your relation to the man in Pensacola?" Irina asked.

_He was my friend. We worked together. _

"What about the two women in the farmhouse?" she asked.

_They were pack members._

"The pack that you lead?" she asked.

_Yes._

"And where is this pack?" she asked again.

He seemed to be fighting her. He began thrashing around on the table, and clarity seemed to be returning to his eyes.

_I can't._

She applied a gentle pressure to his temples and his eyes rolled back once more. She said; "Yes you can, Ray. I'm the only one who will know, and I won't tell."

_The code…_

"I know you live by a code, but you won't be breaking it if you tell me. I have a friend who needs help. He's a werewolf too. We were told you could help," Irina said.

_By whom?_

"A woman named Jules. She told us that you could help," Irina replied.

_She's in Mason's pack._

"Not anymore Ray. Mason died, and so did Jules. My friend is alone, Ray. He needs a pack," Irina said.

_What's his name?_

"Tyler Lockwood- he's Mason's nephew," Irina said.

_I can't. He will have to find them himself._

Klaus watched as Ray struggled against Irina's mind control. She was very good at this whole magic, witchy thing. He was actually proud of her. He watched as a spark shone in her eye, and she removed her hands from his head. She propped Ray up on the pool table until he was in a sitting position.

"What are you going to do now?" Klaus asked.

"I have an idea. Just… play along," Irina whispered as Ray regained consciousness.

Ray looked around, and he seemed to remember where he was and what was going on. He tried to get up, but Irina kept him firmly planted with her magic.

"Please, just let me go. I can't tell you their location- I'm sorry," Ray said.

Irina sighed. "We really need to know, Ray," she said.

"Why? Why do you need to know?" he asked.

She got an expression on her face that he had seen on his brother Kol countless times before. It was an expression that said _they're-falling-into-my-trap_. She smiled sweetly as she looked him straight in the eye… and began her lie.

"Have you heard of the sun-and-moon curse, Ray?" she asked in a hushed tone.

His eyes widened, and Klaus knew that she had his attention. "Yes, I've heard of it," he replied.

"We're trying to break it. You see, we don't want the vampires to win," Irina said.

"But, isn't he half-vampire? That's what he said. He said he wanted to make more of him," Ray asked.

"That's true, and he wasn't lying. He does want to make more of him. But, he can't unless the curse is broken," she said.

"I don't want to be half-vampire, and I can assure you- my pack won't either," he said.

Irina smiled. "But that's the beauty of it, Ray. If you tell us the location of your pack, he won't turn them into hybrids. I promise. We'll just use them to break the spell," she said.

"Why do you need them to break it?" he asked.

"The werewolf pack symbolizes family, and the bond between the pack members. All I would need from each member of the pack is a drop of blood," she said.

"I won't let you kill them," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously Ray? I know you're not deaf. I said a drop- as in, take a needle and poke their finger. One drop," she said.

He seemed to be waging a battle in his mind, and when he let his shoulders slump, Klaus knew Irina would get the information. "And you promise you won't kill my pack?" he asked.

"I promise, Ray. But only if you willingly give up the location. If you refuse, I'll have to resort to using a location spell, and then he'll kill them all," she said.

He nodded and leaned in to whisper the location of the pack to her. Apparently he didn't know just how strong the hybrid's hearing was, but it was of little importance. Klaus heard every word. They were located in the Smoky Mountains, not far from the little bar. He grinned when she turned to give him a curt nod and continued playing with her phone.

* * *

After Stefan had returned, Klaus fed Ray his blood and snapped his neck, and they were on their way to his pack's location. Irina wasn't allowed to sit beside Ray in the back seat, just in case he woke up. The last thing they needed was a dead witch, apparently. She sat in the passenger seat as Klaus drove the winding roads to their destination.

"So, Irina…" he began.

She looked to him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked.

"You mentioned that you had a job," Klaus said.

She scoffed and said; "Yes, I did. But I was only allowed vacation time for the summer. I suppose I won't have a job when I don't show up for work," she explained.

He seemed to think on this with a serious expression. "What was the job?" he asked.

She sighed. "I worked at a music store. We sell instruments, and I do music lessons," she said.

"What instruments do you play?" he asked.

"Guitar, piano, and violin…" she began.

Stefan cut her off, saying; "She's actually quite good."

She rolled her eyes and looked out her window, hopefully sending the message that she was done with this conversation. She didn't want to talk about her life back home in Mystic Falls. She was missing her sister so much. She just wanted to go home. She remembered a spell that Bonnie had done to send a message to Elena, when Rose kidnapped her.

That seemed like so long ago now, but it really wasn't. She took her sketch pad from her back and flipped through the pictures. She had drawn one for Jeremy during the first few weeks of being with Klaus and Stefan, but she didn't know how to send it. She felt herself get excited knowing that this spell would send it to him. She carefully tore the paper out, and crumpled it up. Klaus was looking at her with a confused expression, but she just ignored it.

She focused all of her energy on the spell, and the paper caught fire in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Klaus shouted.

She rolled her eyes and looked at him. "When I'm bored I burn things," she said.

"Can you refrain from doing so in my car?" he asked.

She rolled her eyed and dusted her hands out the window. She rolled it back up and started listening to something on her iPod. She was so focused on the music she didn't realize they had finally arrived to their destination. They'd have to walk the rest of the way, so Irina braced herself for the hike.

* * *

They had been walking for almost an hour, and Irina was about to demand that someone carry her. Converse were great shoes, but not for walking on the rocky terrain. She kept tripping every five seconds, and she could see that Klaus was trying not to laugh at her. Stefan was carrying Ray on his shoulders, and Irina couldn't help but think that he was lucky he was a vampire. Otherwise, he'd be winded right about now.

"Is Ray getting heavy?" Klaus asked.

"I'm fine," Stefan replied.

"You sure about that? We've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit down…" Klaus quipped.

Irina rolled her eyes and did her best to keep up with the two men. She was certain her heart was beating out of her chest, and it was probably tempting Stefan.

"You know, I get that we're stuck together, Klaus. But if we could just skip the chit-chat, that'd be great," Stefan replied.

Irina giggled as she passed them. "So much brooding, Stefan. It'll give you wrinkles…" she teased.

She didn't pay attention to what they said after that. She could see the werewolf pack in the clearing up ahead, and Stefan went forward, dumping Ray's body on the ground in front of them.

"Oh my God, Ray!" a girl exclaimed as she ran to meet him.

There were distrusting eyes on them as Irina made her way to stand by Stefan. "Who are you?" the girl said.

"The important question is, _who am I_… Please, forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus," Klaus said as he moved forward.

The whole group seemed to take a full step back at the mention of his name. "You're the hybrid," the girl said.

Irina smirked and said; "So you _have_ heard of him."

"Fantastic…" Klaus said.

* * *

"It's quite fascinating, actually. A werewolf who isn't a slave to the moon. A vampire who doesn't burn in the sun…" Irina mused as she went to sit next to Klaus.

"Are you a hybrid too?" the girl asked.

Irina giggled. "No, I'm not. I'm not a vampire or werewolf either," she said.

"So what are you?" a man asked in a rather rude tone.

Irina wanted to demonstrate, so she raised her hand and flung him against a tree, pinning him there. The entire group let out a shocked gasp, and his eyes went wide.

"There is no need for such a rude tone. I'm a witch, if you must know," she explained.

Klaus cleared his throat and gave her a pointed look, which meant she had to give up her new toy. She unceremoniously dropped him to the ground, and turned her attention back to Ray, who was gasping for breath.

"Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic," Klaus said.

Ray rolled over and tried to sit up. "What's happening to me?" he asked.

Klaus looked to the vampire sitting to his left and said; "Stefan."

Stefan stood and asked; "Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire."

"If he does not get it, he will die," Irina finished.

"Doesn't take much. Just a sample," Klaus announced. "Anyone? A boyfriend… a girlfriend, maybe?"

Irina was looking at people… using her magic to see whether or not they were human or werewolf. It wasn't easy, but if she focused she could see their aura. Humans were silver, vampires were red, and werewolves were gold. She looked for the silver aura, and found one around a blue-eyed man that looked similar to Matt.

"You…" she said, and he backed away with fearful eyes.

Klaus flashed to him, and bit his arm. Irina pinned him to the ground with her magic, and said; "Ray, if you don't drink it, Stefan will. The problem is, he doesn't know how to stop."

The woman who seemed to be in charge when Ray was gone tried to rush to his aide, but Klaus stopped her.

"It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us, or you die," Klaus said.

"I'd rather die than be a vampire," she said through gritted teeth.

"Wrong choice," Klaus said as he fed her from his wrist. "She'll thank me for it later."

He snapped her neck and she fell to the ground. "Who's next?" Irina asked.

* * *

Ray was sitting on a rock and shivering. No matter what Irina tried, it wasn't helping.

"They're dead. They're all dead," he said.

Klaus ignored the newly-turned hybrid's statement. "He's through his transition- he should be feeling better soon," he said.

Ray kept shivering, and Irina studied him as the two men had a conversation. She wasn't paying attention- something about wars and hybrid-armies. She rolled her eyes at their conversation and took Ray's hand in her own. She didn't get any sort of vision or anything. Suddenly, blood began dripping down his face… _from his eyes_.

"Something's wrong," Irina said.

Klaus took a closer look at Ray and saw the bleeding from his eyes.

"That shouldn't be happening, should it?" Stefan asked.

"Well obviously," Klaus quipped.

Ray's shaking became more violent. "You said it was gonna feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" he asked.

"Ray, I need you to calm down, okay?" Irina said as Klaus continued to study him with his arms crossed.

"Some master race," Stefan quipped.

"Lose the attitude," Klaus replied.

"Enough! We need to find out what's wrong!" Irina exclaimed.

After she said that, the girl woke up from the ground. Klaus told Derek- the human- to come feed his girlfriend. When Derek stood, Klaus turned his arm over to reveal the wound, and Ray completely lost it. He snarled and pushed Irina out of the way, causing her to hit her head and black out. The last thing she remembered was Klaus standing over her, trying to help her by feeding her blood.

* * *

Klaus didn't move from Irina's side while she was unconscious. He should have known better than to bring her here with him- this was far too dangerous. She was good at getting information, but at the end of the day she was still vulnerable. Eventually, he had to kill some of his hybrids. The others just died from blood loss. What went wrong? He did what he was supposed to do, so why didn't it work.

He sat there, drinking his beers, waiting for Irina to wake and Stefan to arrive. She woke silently, and sat up holding her head. Klaus could tell she was confused. She stood up and assessed her surroundings. He saw her eyes widen at the dead hybrids littering the area.

"Well, sleeping beauty awakens," he said in a monotone voice.

"What happened?" she asked as Stefan appeared and dropped Ray's lifeless body to the ground.

"They went rabid," Klaus began. "Some of them I killed, the others just… bled out." He stood and Irina moved back a few inches. She was smart, but it hurt him that she had to fear her own father. "In the end… they're all dead."

Klaus yelled and threw his beer bottle across the clearing, before turning to shout; "I did everything I was told! I should be able to turn them! I broke the curse- I killed a werewolf, I killed a vampire, I killed the doppelgänger."

Klaus looked to the faces of his forced comrades. Irina was good at keeping a straight face. He knew something was up, and he's get to the bottom of it. He looked to Stefan and said; "You look like hell."

"Last I checked- I'm dying," Stefan said as he held out his arm. Klaus heard Irina's shocked gasp. "You don't want to heal me, so…" Stefan and Klaus both looked to Ray. "I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice. I failed you, and I'm sorry. Do what you have to do," he said.

Irina was standing in the background with wide eyes. He figured they'd be filled with tears if this conversation were happening within the first few weeks of their journey, but she learned quickly. Tears were a sign of weakness, and she didn't like to appear weak. This journey had made her stronger- it had brought out a new side of her. It was almost like she could shut off her own emotions, and that worried Klaus a bit. His little girl- the one that was so innocent and kind- was gone in his presence. She was different around him, and it was his own fault.

He walked over to Stefan and said; "It should have worked." He turned and picked up a beer bottle, before letting his fangs drop, and biting into his own palm. He let the blood drain into the beer bottle, and handed it to Stefan. "Bottoms up," he said before Stefan took the bottle. "We're leaving."

He walked over to where Irina stood, before turning to look at the damage of this failed night. "It appears you two are the only comrades I have left," he said before walking away.

Stefan turned the bottle up shortly afterward, and followed him out of the woods. Irina took one final look around, before making an invisible barrier around the bodies, and setting fire to the entire campsite. The fire wouldn't spread, and once the bodies were gone, it would burn out. She turned and ran after Klaus and Stefan- desperate not to get lost in these mountains.

* * *

"How difficult it must be for someone to lose themselves..."


	16. memories

_Guys, I am LOVING the reviews! Thank you so much! I was never confident about this story, but I'm happy you all like it so much. :D_

* * *

I'll be seeing you  
In every lovely summer's day  
In everything that's light and gay  
I'll always think of you that way

- I'll be Seeing You by Billie Holiday

* * *

They had been driving for hours. They only stopped once to get cleaned up and eat something- well, Irina ate. She hadn't seen Stefan or Klaus take a bite of food since they left. She was in the back seat of the car, trying not to drift to sleep, when Stefan shook her leg.

"We're here," he said.

"Where is here?" she asked groggily.

"Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan!" Klaus announced, as though he didn't hear their conversation.

"What are we doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I know how much you loved it here. Bringing back memories of the good ol' ripper days," Klaus replied as he opened a door to look at the night sky.

Stefan sighed and said; "I blacked out most of them. Lots of blood, lots of partying… the details are all a blur."

"Well that's a crying shame. The details are what makes it legend," Klaus replied.

Irina smirked and said; "I feel some stories coming on."

"Word was, the ripper of Monterey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was prohibition- everything was off-limits then. Which made everything so much fun," Klaus said as he began his story, and instantly Irina's mind went into a flashback.

* * *

_Stefan had just finished feeding off of a woman in the back of a car. Even in the twenties, his hair was perfectly coiffed. He walked to a door and knocked twice, before a man opened a peephole. Stefan gave a signal, and was allowed inside. He made his way through the back and into the main bar area. The music was beautiful and swingy- a dark skinned woman, with shocking blonde hair was singing on the stage. Her voice was beautiful, and Irina felt as though she were really there. _

_Stefan made his way to the floor level. "Guess who my eyes have just spied, ladies," said the jazz singer. "Lookin' for a good time, Mr. Salvatore?"_

"_Save me a dance, Gloria," Stefan said as he continued down the stairs. _

_Gloria went back to singing, and Stefan reached for a glass of liquor on a silver tray, but a young blonde was there to take it instead. _

"_Ooh, please. Help yourself," he said. _

"_Oh I always do," she replied. "Careful Mr. Salvatore. You're still wearing your date. She's lovely," she whispered as she licked the blood off the corner of his mouth. _

_She turned to walk away, but he gently grasped her arm. "Who are you?" he asked. _

_She looked at him with a flirty expression, and held her finger to her lips. "Shh…" she said before turning to make her way back to her seat. _

* * *

"Chicago was magical," Klaus said, rounding up his story.

Irina was sitting there with a wide-eyed expression. She decided not to tell anyone that, due to her witchy status, she could see the flashbacks. "Oh my gosh. I can't imagine what it must have been like back then. I've always wanted to live during the twenties," she said.

Klaus smiled at her, but Stefan said; "Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't remember most of it."

"Down to business then," Klaus said.

"Why are we still with you? We've had our fun, your hybrids failed… I mean, don't you want to move on?" Stefan asked.

Irina sighed and rolled her eyes. Did he really think it would be that easy? "We're going to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her," Klaus said.

As Klaus got back in the car, Stefan and Irina shared a look. They both made their way back to the car, and Irina sat sideways in the back seat and played with her necklace. She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

They entered a bar that didn't open until late that night. Irina was nervous about just walking in to a random bar, but she didn't voice her concerns.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Klaus asked.

"I can't believe this place is still here," Stefan replied.

Irina looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. A door opened, and someone said; "You got to be kidding me. "

"So, a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender-" Klaus began.

"Stop," the woman said, cutting him off. "You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny. I remember you," she said, looking at Stefan.

"You're Gloria. But shouldn't you be…" Stefan began.

"Old and dead? Now if I die, who's gonna run this place?" she said.

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," Klaus said, and Irina's eyes went wide in amazement. She uses her magic to stop aging?

As if reading her thoughts, she said; "I can slow the aging down some- herbs and spells- but don't worry. It'll catch up to me one day."

"You can do that?" Irina breathed.

Gloria smiled, seeming to see the young girl for the first time. "You, my dear, are very powerful for someone so young," she said.

"Stefan, why don't you go fix us a drink?" Klaus said.

Stefan walked to the bar, and Gloria walked over to shake Irina's hand. The young witch smiled, but it fell when Gloria's smile dropped and she gasped. "The Original daughter," she breathed. It was so quiet that Irina almost didn't hear it.

"What?" she asked.

Klaus was looking at Gloria with an angry expression, and she said; "I'm sorry. I've gotten a bit crazy in my old age. Please, take a seat," she said.

"You look ravishing, by the way," Klaus said.

"Don't," Gloria stated, raising her hand. "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids- that kind of news travels," she said, glancing at Irina every so often.

"So what am I doing wrong? I broke the curse." he said.

"Obviously you did something wrong," she said, but at Klaus' annoyed expression, she added; "Look, every spell has a loophole. But a curse that old… we'd have to contact the witch who created it."

"Well that would be the Original witch. She's very dead," he said.

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah," Gloria said.

"Rebekah… Rebekah is a bit preoccupied," Klaus said.

Gloria sighed. "She has what I need. Bring her to me," she said.

Stefan, who had been at the bar fixing drinks, suddenly said; "What is this?"

Irina walked over and took the picture out of his hands. It was him and Klaus, in the 1920's, in Gloria's bar. They looked absolutely chummy. "Seriously? I thought you said you didn't know Klaus!"

"I don't… or didn't. What's going on?" he asked.

"Well I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place," Klaus replied.

"But this is me… with you," Stefan said.

* * *

Klaus and Stefan were arguing as Irina followed wordlessly. She wasn't paying attention to a word they were saying. Her mind was still on what Gloria had said. What did she mean _the Original Daughter_? Gloria clearly lied when she said it was just old-age that had caused her to say that. So what did it mean? She would have to ask Klaus later- or possibly Rebekah, if she was nice. Irina had a feeling she wasn't nice in the least, but she decided to be optimistic.

They were at the coffin now, and Klaus opened the lid. Inside lay a pretty young woman, even though her skin was grey and veiny. She had pretty blonde hair, and she actually looked familiar. It was a strange feeling, because Irina was certain she had never seen the woman before in her life. Klaus pulled the dagger from Rebekah's chest, and they waited.

"Time to wake up, little sister," he said.

"I don't recognize her," Stefan replied.

"Don't tell her that. Rebekah's temper is worse than mine," Klaus said.

Irina was still trying to figure out where she knew her from. She looked so familiar. "She looks familiar," she said quietly.

Klaus seemed to study her for a moment, and said; "Irina, I want you to wait in Gloria's bar, please. It should be opening soon, and I'm sure you have a multitude of questions for her, darling."

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked.

"Stefan and I are going to his old apartment," he said before walking away.

* * *

The bar had opened, and a few people were coming in. Irina was helping Gloria behind the bar, and saw the perfect opportunity to ask questions.

"Gloria…" she began.

"Hmm?" the older witch asked as she poured drinks.

"What did you mean by _The Original Daughter_?" she asked.

Gloria sighed. "Nothing, dear," she said.

"You're lying- I can sense it," Irina replied.

"Just like Rebekah," Gloria muttered, then said; "I can't say until your memories are returned. I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to accept that."

Irina just stared at her, but then nodded and said; "Okay."

Irina went to the customer side of the bar to sit quietly and wait for Klaus to return. Someone came up beside her, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. The raven hair, the ice blue eyes, the rugged-bad boy appearance. It was Damon Salvatore.

"Damon!" she exclaimed as she launched herself at him, giving him a hug.

"Whoa," he said as he placed her gently on the floor. "Irina, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Klaus to get back. Where's Elena?" she asked.

Damon looked around before saying; "At Stefan's old apartment."

Irina's face went pale with shock. Elena was there… and Klaus would be arriving there soon with Stefan in tow. "Oh my God…" she breathed.

"What?" Damon asked.

Just then, Stefan texted her saying they were on their way back from the apartment. Damon's phone started ringing, and he looked at the screen- it was Elena calling.

"Answer it… please. Make sure she's okay, and get out of here… fast," Irina said before running to the bathroom.

* * *

Irina made her way out the back door for some "air" when Stefan and Klaus came back. Stefan knew to keep Klaus busy until she returned. When she exited, she saw Elena sitting in a car with Damon, having a conversation. Irina went and tapped on Elena's window, and her friend's eyes went wide when she saw her.

Elena got out of the car as fast as she could. "Irina, oh my gosh! I've missed you so much. I'm so happy you're alive!" she exclaimed as she trapped Irina in a huge hug.

"I've missed you too!" Irina said.

"Jeremy is about to go crazy without you," Elena said. "He got your drawing."

"Good. I miss him Elena. I miss him so much," Irina said as tears came to her eyes.

"He loves you, and misses you. You have to come home, please!" Elena begged.

Irina shook her head. "I want to, Elena. You don't know how much I want to, but I have to get answers," she said.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"There is a _very_ powerful witch inside that bar. She shook my hand, and went into a sort of trance. When she came out of it, she said something about the Original Daughter," Irina said.

"What does that mean?" Elena asked.

"I don't know. She said she's forbidden from telling me anything until I get my memories back," Irina said.

Elena sighed and went on explaining how everything was going back home. Jeremy was missing her terribly, and he hadn't been the same since she left. Bonnie was visiting her dad's side of the family for the summer. Caroline had hooked up with Tyler, which really shocked Irina. Jenna and Alaric were doing well, and she was actually doing well controlling her bloodlust. Jenna still wanted to find Irina- she felt like she owed her after Irina brought her back to life.

"Tell everyone that I love them- with all of my heart. I'm homesick every day. I miss everyone so much, and I'm so happy I got to see you. I have to go, before Klaus comes looking for me. He can't know you're alive, Elena," she said.

"Okay. I'll miss you. Come home as soon as you can, okay?" Elena said.

"I promise," Irina replied as she turned to go back inside.

* * *

Damon had distracted Klaus long enough for Stefan to chat with Elena, and Irina tried her best not to intervene in the torture. She had to make it seem real, that she was on Team Klaus. They went back to the storage unit to see if Rebekah had awoken, and when they got there her coffin was empty.

"Rebekah… it's your big brother. Come out, come out wherever you are," Klaus shouted.

Rebekah flashed forward out of nowhere and stabbed Klaus with the dagger. "Go to hell, Nik!" she shouted.

Irina watched with wide eyes as Klaus removed the dagger from his chest, and dropped it to the ground. "Don't pout. You knew it wouldn't kill me," he said.

"Yes, but I was hoping it'd hurt more," she said.

"I understand that you're upset with me, Rebekah. So I'm gonna let that go- just this once. I brought you a little peace offering," Klaus said. "You can come in," he said.

Stefan entered, and Rebekah said; "Stefan…"

Irina was standing in the background. She hadn't even been noticed yet- apparently it was something she'd have to get used to. She watched as Klaus walked over to where Stefan stood and said; "Now, you remember."

Irina watched as realization came over Stefan's face. He blinked once, and his eyes focused on Rebekah. "Rebekah…" he breathed.

He began walking forward, and Klaus said; "Stefan!"

Stefan turned to him, and once again, realization dawned on him. "I remember you. We were friends," Stefan said.

"We _are_ friends," Klaus said, as he walked towards Stefan. His eyes shifted to Rebekah, who seemed to notice Irina for the first time, and had a very confused look on her face as she eyed the girl's necklace. "And now the reason you're here. Gloria tells me that you know how to contact the Original witch."

"The Original Witch?" Rebekah said.

"What do you have that Gloria needs?" Klaus asked.

Rebekah's hand went to her neck, but froze there when it met only with skin. "Where's my necklace?" she asked. "What have you done with it? I never take it off!"

"I don't know, I didn't touch it," Klaus said.

"We need to find it, Nik. Now! I want it back," Rebekah ordered.

"Tell me that's not what she needs, Rebekah!" Klaus shouted, grabbing her arms.

She threw his hands off and made her way back to the coffin. She opened it and began searching, only to flip it over when she didn't find what she was looking for. Irina watched as she threw her little tantrum, and Klaus' face got more forlorn. She looked to Stefan to find realization dawning on him. He knew where the necklace was, and he wasn't happy about it.

* * *

"You can kid the world, but not your sister."  
― Charlotte Gray


	17. rebekah

Trust I seek and I find in you  
Every day for us something new  
Open mind for a different view  
And nothing else matters

- Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

* * *

Klaus watched as Rebekah threw her little hissy fit, and noticed Irina standing beside Stefan. They seemed to be having a silent conversation- the way only true friends can. He watched as emotions played across their faces, and Stefan nodded- causing Irina's face to fall. Klaus walked over to them, and interrupted their silent chat.

"What's this then?" he asked.

"What's what?" Stefan asked.

Klaus sighed. "Don't play dumb, Stefan. You were having some sort of conversation with her. What's going on?" Klaus replied.

"Stefan saw Damon in the city when he went to get a drink. He told him to leave and not come back," Irina replied.

Klaus studied her for a moment, but didn't get to reply. Rebekah walked over to them and studied Irina. "Rebekah, play nice," Klaus warned.

"Oh, I always do," she replied. "What's your name dear?"

"Irina," she replied.

Rebekah's eyebrows rose. She looked to Klaus who tried very hard to keep his indifferent expression. "That's a very pretty necklace. Where'd you get it?" she asked her.

"I've had it for as long as I can remember," Irina replied.

"Really? Hmm… Nik, can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Rebekah asked.

Klaus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew the questions were coming, but he didn't think he'd have to answer them so soon. He knew Rebekah wouldn't stop until she was certain this was her niece- the one thing she had searched so hard for.

"Stefan, mate, why don't you and Irina go find us a hotel with two vacant rooms. It looks as though we'll be here for a tick," Klaus said.

Stefan raised an eyebrow, but did as Klaus said. He took Irina by the arm and led her out of the storage facility. Once Klaus was certain they were gone, he turned to Rebekah. He let out a dramatic sigh, and said; "Okay, shoot…"

"I don't know where to start, Nik! Is that her?" Rebekah asked.

"I believe so, yes. In fact I'm rather certain that it is," Klaus replied.

Rebekah's eyes widened, and she looked to the spot where Stefan and Irina were previously standing. "But how, Nik? She's all grown up now! Did you seriously keep us daggered all through her childhood?" Rebekah fumed.

Klaus glared at her. "No, Rebekah, I did not. I didn't know she was even here until recently. I'm still processing the fact that I found my daughter, but I didn't get the privilege of watching her grow up!" he exclaimed.

"Nik, we can't let her go now. You know that right?" Rebekah asked.

"I don't intend to, Rebekah. She's my daughter- I want to be there for her just like any other father would. But she doesn't remember us, Rebekah. She doesn't know me as her father! She knows me as the hybrid jerk who sacrificed her best friend! She knows you as the vampire she just met, who hasn't been alive since the twenties. She only knows Elijah as the one who wanted to kill me, but backed out at the last minute. That's all she knows, Rebekah, and I don't know how to get her memories back!" Klaus ranted.

Rebekah was quiet through the whole speech, and Klaus saw tears forming in her eyes. She reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder. "She will remember, Niklaus. I know she will. Until then, I will be pleasant and befriend her. I have missed her so much!" Rebekah said.

Klaus actually managed a small smile, and said; "If you think she was awesome before, wait until you get to know her now. I am actually proud of her- and I don't say that about many people."

"Niklaus, what is she like? Is she like me at all?" Rebekah asked hopefully.

Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at his younger sister. She had been dreaming of this moment for years, and Klaus wouldn't lie to her. "She is somewhat like you, yes. She can sense when people are lying. She can hide her emotions like Elijah, and sometimes she's immature like Kol. I don't know whose temper she got, and I don't think I want to know. Not when she has the potential of getting a Mikaelson temper," Klaus said.

Rebekah smirked; "If I remember correctly, her mother's temper could rival any of ours. Remember when she threw the rock at Samson for trying to peek under her skirts?"

Klaus laughed and nodded his head. "Yes, I remember. I wonder if Gloria could help her with her memories," he said.

"Is that why you need the necklace?" Rebekah asked.

"No, but I desperately need that necklace Rebekah. Where did you put it?" he asked.

"I never take it off Nik. It should be on me," she said before sighing. "Maybe Gloria doesn't need the necklace. Maybe I would work just as well."

"We'll see," Klaus said as his phone buzzed. "They've found a hotel. Let's go then."

* * *

That night was the most uncomfortable night that Irina had ever had in her life. Rebekah insisted that it would be terribly improper if the two girls didn't have separate rooms from the boys, so Stefan and Klaus were stuck sharing a room, while Irina shared with Rebekah. Rebekah seemed enthusiastic about it, but Irina was left feeling… anxious. She didn't know this vampire, and she couldn't help but feel like Rebekah would kill her in her sleep.

When they entered the room, Irina put her bag on the bed closest to the door, and gave Rebekah the bed near the window. She went to use the bathroom, and when she came out Rebekah was looking at her clothes.

"Um… so, whatcha doin?" Irina asked, trying not to sound rude.

Rebekah turned, looking startled. "Oh, sorry. I was just curious what girls in this century wore," she said.

Irina noticed that she was still wearing her bloody flapper dress. "Oh! I forgot- you totally can't wear that all day. You can borrow something of mine if you want," she said.

Rebekah smiled. "Thank you!" she said.

An hour later, all of Irina's clothes were strewn over the bed. Some of them she had forgotten that she even packed. She mostly washed the same clothes over and over, and stuck to wearing those. Surprisingly, Rebekah was around the same size as her. They were both skinny, but both of them were also curvaceous- something Elena always said she envied about Irina.

"So… this is all women wear in this time?" she asked.

"Yep," Irina replied as she took her pajamas and went to shower.

There was a radio in the bathroom, so she turned it on as she showered. The song _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perry came on the radio, and she started singing along without even realizing it. Once she was finished, she wrapped a towel around her and started drying her hair. Once her hair- and body- were dry, she got dressed in her pajamas and exited the bathroom.

"That song was really pretty," Rebekah said as she played with the television remote.

Irina blushed and said; "Yeah, I like it."

"I can tell," Rebekah teased, causing Irina to blush even more.

Irina moved to her bed and put all of her things back into her suitcase. The photo album she packed fell to the floor, and opened to a picture of her and Jeremy. Rebekah got to it before Irina could, and studied the picture. She smiled and asked; "Who's this?"

"That's my boyfriend," she said.

"He's cute. Not really my type, but you two are adorable together," Rebekah said.

"Yeah, well… I haven't seen him in three months, so…" Irina said.

Rebekah looked confused. "Why? What happened?" she asked.

Irina sighed and launched into her tale of what caused her to be trapped on this trip. She hadn't seen her boyfriend in forever, and she missed him. She longed to be kissed passionately by Jeremy, like he had done the night she saved Jenna. She dreamt about him, and she wondered if he dreamed of her too. Elena had said he got his drawing, and he was happy that he received it.

"I'm so sorry you haven't seen him for so long," Rebekah said solemnly.

Irina shrugged. "I'll see him again someday- I hope," she said.

Rebekah smiled, and launched into a never ending stream of questions about the new technologies and fashions, and how different things are now. Eventually, Irina got so tired she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Rebekah watched as Irina slept. When she was sleeping, the resemblance was clear. She looked just as innocent as she had when she was a child. Rebekah just sat and watched her- no matter how creepy that sounds- and was reminded of a time when things were simpler. She could imagine them both with longer hair, and long dresses- belted around the waist. She wondered how things would be different if they were never turned.

Irina even slept the same as she did when she was little. She would always sleep on her stomach, with her head resting on her hands- which were placed underneath the pillow. One leg would be shifted into a 'lifted' position, and the other would be straight. That's just how she slept- always- and that hadn't changed over the years.

Rebekah smiled to herself and switched the lamp off, before laying down and going to sleep herself.

* * *

_Irina was back in the field. This time, it was late summer and the warm sunshine was soaking through her skin. She was wearing a dress that matched the one Aoife would always wear. It was lavender, and it flowed to the ground with a belt around the waist. She loved it, and she put her arms to her side, and reclined in the middle of the field. The wildflowers made the whole place smell like Heaven. _

_She was basking in the sun, when someone came up behind her and put their hands over her eyes. It was the young boy, who she was told to call 'H'. She didn't know why she couldn't know his name, but she didn't question it. She was just happy to see Aoife and 'H' whenever she could. She hadn't seen them since the beginning of the summer, and this was a pleasant surprise. _

"_H, what are you doing?" she asked as the young boy came to sit beside her. _

_He smiled and said; "I've missed you."_

"_Where have you been?" Irina asked._

"_I've been around, doing things for Aoife," H said. _

"_Like what?" she asked._

_H smiled at her, and said; "We've been keeping your family informed on your wellbeing."_

_Her eyes widened, and she looked like she had lost her breath. H put his hand on her shoulder and asked if she was okay. _

"_I'm fine, I just… I miss them so much, you know?" she said. _

_H smiled and said; "That's where Aoife is now. She's visiting someone very special."_

_Just then, Aoife appeared with a cloaked figure behind her. Irina's brows furrowed, and she tried to see the person's face. Aoife came to where Irina sat, and offered her a hand. Irina stood, but kept her eyes on the cloaked figure. _

"_Aoife, who is this?" she asked._

"_This is a surprise for you. I was hoping you'd come to your senses and go back home, but since you don't seem to want to do that, I thought I'd bring you some comfort," she said. _

_Irina walked to the cloaked figure, and removed the hood- she gasped when she saw who it was. Aoife had brought Jeremy to her- the best present she had ever received. _

"_Irina!" he breathed._

"_Jeremy!" she replied, before attacking him in a hug._

"_How did I get here? One minute, I was dreaming of something else, and then a woman showed up and brought me here," he said._

_She smiled and said; "That's Aoife. Apparently she's my mother."_

_Jeremy's eyes went wide, and he looked at Aoife. He could see the similarities, and gratitude shone in his eyes. He turned back to Irina and kissed her cheek. _

_Aoife smirked and said; "Come now, Jeremy. You can do better than that. We'll give you some privacy."_

_They practically vanished, and Irina was left staring at Jeremy. He leaned in slowly- so slow she thought she would die- and placed his lips softly on hers. After three whole months without so much as a hug from anyone, she returned his kiss passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him close. _

_When they broke apart, Jeremy said; "Wow."_

_Irina giggled and led him to sit at the edge of the field, overlooking the valley below. He put his arm around her and she leaned into his side. She breathed in the scent of his cologne mixed with his natural smell. It was Heavenly, especially mixed with the smell of the warm wildflowers. It was quickly making her high. _

"_I've missed you," Jeremy said softly._

"_Jeremy, I've missed you so much. I hope he'll let me come home soon," she said._

"_You never should have left," Jeremy replied._

_Irina sighed. "I know, and I wish I could take it back. But then Damon would be dead, and I don't want that. Stefan's like a brother to me, and that would kill him, so…"_

_Jeremy leaned in to kiss her forehead, and thankfully changed the topic by saying; "So Jenna's doing well."_

"_Really? Her and Ric are doing okay with the whole human/vampire relationship?" Irina asked._

_Jeremy pursed his lips and said; "They're getting there. It's been rough, but they really do love each other."_

"_I'm glad. Everyone deserves love, and I like Jenna. She's fun, and she doesn't take crap from people," Irina said. _

_Jeremy chuckled and leaned backwards so that he was resting on the grass. Irina followed and buried herself into his side. She could have happily stayed here all day, but the edges were beginning to fade. _

"_What's happening?" Jeremy asked._

"_I think we're waking up. I love you, Jeremy. And I miss you. I'll be home soon, I promise," she said before everything went black. _

* * *

Irina woke to Rebekah gently shaking her arm. She was so wrapped up in her dream, that she forgot where she was. Reality came crashing down around her, but she wasn't sad. The dream had put her in such a good mood, and she was so happy she got to see Jeremy. She sat up as Rebekah prattled on about the day, and when she looked at the clock her eyes widened.

"Rebekah! It is six-freaking-thirty in the morning. Why am I awake?" she asked.

"Get dressed- we're going shopping!" Rebekah exclaimed.

Irina groaned and fell back on the bed. "Seriously?"

"You don't like shopping?" Rebekah asked.

Irina laughed and said; "I'm best friends with Caroline Forbes- she doesn't allow you to _not_ like shopping. But it's six-thirty in the morning, and I have no money."

"Oh please- Nik will buy it," she said.

"No! I'm not using his money," Irina said.

"Why not? He practically kidnapped you- the least he could do is buy you something pretty," Rebekah said.

Irina rolled her eyes and fell backward on the bed. Rebekah pulled a dress from the bag and asked; "Where did you get this? It's so pretty!"

"I made it," Irina said.

"You made this!" she exclaimed.

"Mhm- I like making my own clothes. I don't know why, but I always have," Irina replied as she pulled a shimmery top and jean-shorts from the bag.

She went to the bathroom to dress before returning to the sleeping area and plugging in her curling iron so Rebekah could shower. She used the curling iron to put large, loose curls through her hair. She wasn't self-centered by any means, but she loved it when her hair cascaded down her back in curls. It boosted her self-confidence tenfold.

"Your hair looks lovely, darling," Rebekah said as she exited the bathroom- dressed and ready to go.

"That was quick," Irina said.

"When I have the promise of new clothes, I always get ready fast," Rebekah said with a smirk as she went to the mirror to borrow Irina's curling iron.

Irina went to sit on the bed, and picked up the Cosmo she had bought at the last gas station they went to. She flipped through the pages, not really paying attention to what she was looking at. She was still thinking about her dream- it was at the forefront of her mind.

"What are you so smiley about?" Rebekah asked.

Irina was startled out of her thoughts by the question. She hadn't realized she had a grin on her face until Rebekah mentioned it. "No reason…" she lied.

"I can sense when you lying," Rebekah said.

Irina's eyes widened. "You can sense when people are lying too?" she asked.

Rebekah smiled and nodded before turning and finishing her makeup. "So what was the smile for?" she asked without turning around.

Irina sighed and closed the magazine. "Okay, fine. I had a very nice dream," she said.

"Oh really? About what?" Rebekah asked.

"It was about Jeremy. I dreamt that we were hanging out and… just talking," Irina said.

"That's it?" Rebekah asked.

Irina nodded and sighed. "Yep, that's it. I guess that's how much I miss him. I dream about just talking to him," she laughed.

Rebekah gave her a sad smile before saying it was time to go, and they met Stefan and Klaus in the lobby of the hotel. Neither one looked very rested, and Irina thought it safe to bet that neither had slept a wink the night before.

* * *

They walked through the city, and Irina kept bumping into people because she was so in awe of how massive it was. She hadn't seen it properly the night before, because she'd been so tired. But now, she was seeing the city in all its glory- and boy did it have glory. It was the largest city she'd ever been in, and Stefan kept teasing her about it.

"Irina…" Klaus said as he caught her arm and pulled her away from the curb.

She had been so busy looking up at the tall buildings that she had almost walked into the road- where there were many cars that could have hit her.

"Do you have a death wish?" he asked.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention. I've never been to a city this big before," she said.

Klaus' eyebrows raised and he said; "Never?"

"Nope. The largest city I've been to is… Richmond, I think. Maybe Atlanta, but I don't really remember it. I've never really been anywhere outside of Mystic Falls," she said.

Stefan looked at her and said; "So, where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?" he asked.

"That's a good question, Stefan. Where would you go, Irina?" asked Rebekah.

They were ganging up on her, and she didn't like it. "Um, I don't know," she said.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and said; "Oh come on. I'm sure you have a dream vacation."

Irina sighed- the blonde vampire was right. Irina _did_ have a dream vacation- it was a place she dreamed of visiting her whole life. It was mystical, and magical, and it was ancient. She didn't know _why_ she wanted to go there- it was like she was born with the need to go.

"I've always felt like I should visit Ireland," she said.

She didn't miss the look that Rebekah and Klaus shared. It was like they knew something that she didn't- like they had just confirmed something. It was odd, but Irina kept quiet. Some things were better left unknown. Klaus suddenly stopped and held a door open for Rebekah and Irina. Apparently this is where they would be shopping.

* * *

Irina had practically been ordered by Klaus to buy something, so she tried on her clothes first at Rebekah's insistence. She wanted to see what the clothes looked like on another person before trying them on herself. In the end, Irina only found one top that she liked, and one pair of shoes. She did agree with Rebekah- Klaus owed her for practically kidnapping her. But, Irina was never one to be overly frivolous with someone else's money, and she would restrain herself.

Next it was Rebekah's turn, and the three of them sat there waiting for her to come out to show them her first outfit.

"What is this?" they heard her ask from the dressing room. "Half of the trousers are missing!"

Irina giggled and Klaus said; "They're called shorts for a reason, Rebekah."

She came out to show them what she tried on, and it did look good. "It looks very nice Rebekah," Irina said.

Rebekah smiled and turned to Stefan. "Well?" she asked.

"I like it," he said.

She rolled her eyes, and Irina scoffed. "Really Stefan? _'I like it…'_ What sort of opinion is that?" she asked.

Rebekah smirked at Irina's comment- which clearly made Stefan uncomfortable- and returned to try on something else. An hour later, and they were finally halfway through the pile of clothes she had assembled.

"There has to be more to this dress," she complained.

"There's not," Klaus sighed.

Rebekah stepped out of the dressing room with a sour expression. "So women in the twenty-first century dress like prostitutes, then?" she asked.

"Hey!" Irina said, clearly offended. Her offense was ignored.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "You know, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers," she said.

"You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing," Klaus said.

"And what is this music? It sounds like a cable-car accident," she replied.

"It's dance music," Stefan replied.

"People dance to this?" Rebekah asked incredulously, while Stefan simply nodded as a response.

Irina rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh. Seriously? You all sound like my grandparents!"

Stefan laughed while an odd expression overtook Klaus and Rebekah's faces. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Klaus replied. "Are we done?"

"And why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah asked.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to find out why my hybrids are dying- one thing. Your necklace, and you lost it," he replied.

"I didn't lose it," Rebekah defended. "It's just been missing for ninety years. So what do you think?" she asked Stefan.

"I like it," he said.

Rebekah scoffed and said; "I can always tell when you're lying Stefan."

"Nice going," Klaus said.

"You're the one that pulled the dagger out of her," Stefan quipped.

"I heard that," Rebekah called.

Irina rolled her eyes again, and mumbled; "Centuries old and they're acting like children," as she stole Klaus' champagne.

Stefan excused himself to get some air, and Irina took her sketchpad from her bag and began drawing.

* * *

They made their way to Gloria's bar after Rebekah's shopping excursion, even though Stefan hadn't returned. He eventually found his way back though.

"You left us," Rebekah pouted.

"Yeah. Retail therapy was making my head explode," Stefan said.

Klaus sighed and said; "Tell me about it."

Stefan looked to Gloria and asked; "So what's she doing?"

"She's failing," Klaus quipped.

"It's kind of hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on," Gloria replied.

Irina thought for a moment and then said; "So, why not use Rebekah? She only wore it for a thousand years."

Gloria smiled and said; "See? Now this one offers a solution."

Rebekah smiled at Irina and hopped down from the bar before sauntering over and giving Gloria her hand. The witch took it in hers, and began focusing on finding the necklace. Irina glanced at Stefan, and noticed his disbelieving look. _What?_ she mouthed. He just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the witch.

"I can sense something," she said. She stopped her chanting after a few moments and said; "I found it."

Irina was still standing in the background, but nobody was paying her any attention- except for the witch. Irina's eyes widened and she shook her head slightly. The witch gave a curt nod as a signal that she understood.

"So where is it?" Rebekah asked.

"It doesn't work like that, doll. I get images- there's a girl, with her friends…" Gloria began.

"Yes, a dead girl with dead friends if I don't get my necklace back," Rebekah threatened.

"Well, I'll have to dive back in to get the details," Gloria replied.

Klaus walked over and said; "So dive."

"I need more time," Gloria replied. Klaus went to invade her personal bubble, and she added; "and space. Look, you're harshin' my juju."

"We can wait," Klaus replied.

"I'm sure you can, but that's not what I asked," Gloria said.

Stefan walked over to intervene, and cleared his throat. "Hey, you know… why don't we just come back later. I'm hungry anyways. I'll let you pick who we eat!" he said before turning to leave.

Klaus' smirk worked its way back onto his face, and Rebekah hopped off the table to join him following after Stefan. Irina stayed behind- she didn't want to watch them feeding off of people.

* * *

Irina was quietly helping Gloria clean up when Stefan arrived. She had been dodging the witch's questions all day, and she was happy to have a buffer.

"There you are," Irina said.

"I thought you were resting," Stefan said to Gloria.

Gloria sighed. "Well now we both have a secret," she said.

"What did you see?" Stefan asked.

"It's what I _heard_ that's interesting. You know the girls with the necklace- they were talking about you," she said.

"Yet you didn't tell Klaus… why?" Irina asked.

"Cause I wouldn't help that hybrid half-breed with anything," Gloria replied. "The necklace is a talisman from the Original witch herself."

"The Original witch?" Irina breathed.

"Mhm… I want it," Gloria ordered.

"Sorry… can't help you," Stefan said as he turned to leave.

"Don't be difficult," Gloria said. "You know I'd hate to have to tell Klaus what a liar his sidekick is," she threatened.

Irina wasn't at all prepared for what would happen next. Stefan turned and flashed towards Gloria, who had her back to him. She turned at the last moment, and Stefan stopped dead in his tracks. His hands flew to his head and he dropped like dead weight.

"Stop it!" Irina shouted.

Gloria ignored her, so Irina tried to put a protective shield around Stefan. It worked for a moment, but Gloria didn't seem to like Irina meddling in her plans. She threw Irina against the wall, causing her to hit her head and black out.

* * *

Irina woke some time later to a wrist pressed to her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw… Katherine? What was she doing helping Irina? Irina let go of Katherine's wrist, and whispered; "Thank you."

Katherine helped Irina stand, and held a finger to her lips in a signal to be quiet. Irina nodded and they walked to where Gloria was performing some sort of ancient, voodoo crap on Stefan. Katherine showed Irina the stake in her hand, and Irina nodded. Normally she didn't condone the killing of witches, but this one had pissed her off.

They silently approached Gloria from behind, and Irina said; "Well this is creepy."

Gloria turned in shock, and Katherine drove the stake into her neck before Gloria could even react. When Gloria dropped to the ground, Katherine said; "Maybe you do need my help after all."

Irina didn't even want to know what she meant by that. She walked to Stefan and removed the metal hooks holding his wounds open. Then, she put her hands on his chest where Gloria's had been. She began mumbling words in Latin, and she heard Stefan sigh in relief. Where Gloria's hands had burned him, Irina's would have a cooling effect. It would probably feel a lot better than the vervain had.

She helped him up, and they began the laborious task of cleaning up. The healing spell had taken a lot out of her, and she knew there were probably bags under her eyes, and she would definitely be pale. She probably looked like hell, but she just sighed and went back to the storage facility.

* * *

She returned to find Rebekah sitting on one of the coffins and reading the magazine from Irina's bag.

"This magazine has definitely changed," she said.

Irina just gave a small chuckle, and went to sit on the sofa. Instead of staying in a sitting position, she fell sideways and let her head hit the armrest. She was so tired, and she was starving now.

"What's wrong little one?" Rebekah asked.

"Little one?" Irina replied.

Rebekah smiled. "When you're a thousand years old, everyone becomes 'little one' to you," she said.

Irina gave a small, breathy laugh and said; "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"So, what's got you so down?" Rebekah asked.

"I fell and hit my head. Stefan healed me, but I'm still tired," she said.

It wasn't a lie, so much as a half-truth. "How did you fall?" she asked.

Irina laughed. "I was voted 'most clumsy' by my friends in eighth grade. I even fell off the top of the pyramid at cheerleading practice once," she said.

"Well, you'll have to be more careful then. We don't want anything to happen," Rebekah said.

"Why? Because I'm a _'powerful witch'_ and Klaus needs me for something… a diabolical plan, no doubt," she quipped.

Rebekah huffed. "No, because I actually like you, Irina," she said.

"I'm honored," Irina quipped.

"Well you should be. People don't get that compliment from me very often- you're in a very special group," she teased.

Irina smiled before she remembered something. "Rebekah…" she began.

"Hmm?"

"You're an… Original, right?" Irina asked.

"I think we've established that already," Rebekah replied.

Irina rolled her eyes, and said; "When Gloria first met me, she shook my hand. When she pulled her hand away, she said something about the Original daughter. What does that mean?"

Irina saw Rebekah tense, and the blonde asked; "How much do you know of the Originals?"

"Just that you're the oldest vampires in the world, and that you are over a thousand years old," Irina replied.

"Then I cannot tell you anything. I am forbidden from saying anything until your memories are returned to you," she said.

_Why does everyone keep saying that,_ Irina thought.

* * *

"You can't label yourself with words, it is what you do everyday that defines you."  
― Raimy Diaz


	18. where are you

_I'm really not sure if I've used this song for another chapter... Oh well. lol. It's no big deal. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the reviews!_

* * *

Better think twice  
Your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must falter be wise

- Disturbia by Rihanna

* * *

Irina must have passed out again, because when she woke up she heard Klaus and Rebekah talking. She turned her head and saw Stefan standing with the two Originals. She stood slowly, and silently made her way to them.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked.

"Something's wrong, he was asking about Mikael," Rebekah replied.

Irina's brow furrowed at the name. It sounded familiar to her when Rebekah said it, but then again, it was a very common name. "Who's Mikael?" she asked.

"He's not with us Nik. I can sense it," Rebekah said, ignoring Irina's question.

Stefan shook his head. "She's wrong, Klaus…" he said.

Irina watched in horror as Klaus sped forward and snapped Stefan's neck. Her shocked gasp was the only thing to fill the room. Klaus walked over to her, and grabbed her by the arm.

"What do you know of Mikael?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said.

Klaus gripped her arms tighter and shouted; "Do not lie to me!"

"I'm not lying!" she shouted as she focused all the energy she had left into giving him the worst headache she could manage.

It wasn't enough to make him writhe in pain, but he did let go of her arms to grab his head. She noticed Rebekah staring at her with wide eyes. She felt the blood dripping from her nose, so she reached up and wiped it away as she stopped with her assault on Klaus. He flashed to her, but Rebekah put her hand on his shoulder.

"Nik… not now," she said.

He looked to Irina with a murderous glare- almost as though he felt betrayed- but Irina didn't know why. She held her breath as he moved away from her, and Rebekah took her arm and pulled her to the SUV. She practically threw Irina in the back before getting in the passenger side. Klaus ordered the compelled driver to take the moving van filled with his family's coffins to Mystic Falls.

"Why are we going back there?" Irina asked.

"I'm going to see what you two are hiding. I hope your secret doesn't disappoint," Klaus said as he started the SUV and began their journey to Mystic Falls.

* * *

Irina sat quietly in the back seat as she thought of a way to alert her friends. Klaus had taken her cell phone, and she had no way to tell them they were coming. They arrived in Mystic Falls earlier than expected. She tried to leave as soon as the SUV stopped, but Klaus had her by the arm within seconds.

"Don't even think about it, witch," he growled.

He led her to the back of the moving truck. He slid the door open, and pushed her inside. He got in and closed the door behind them, before sitting and waiting for Stefan to wake. She sat on her knees and put his head in her lap- it should be long now.

"So, Irina… do you want to go ahead and give up the information? You know what he's hiding. All you have to do is tell me," he coaxed.

She looked at him with the same murderous expression he had given her. "Go to hell," she hissed.

He simply shrugged, and Stefan woke up with a gasp. He looked around, and saw Klaus sitting near him.

"Please… just let me explain," Stefan said.

"No need- I'm not mad, I'm just curious. Rebekah seems to think you're holding on to something, a piece of your old life. The thing is, she has flawless instincts- borderline supernatural, so I thought I would check it out. See for myself what it is you've been hiding," he said as he went to raise the door of the truck. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Stefan."

* * *

Irina had been threatened with the killing of her friends if she didn't help Klaus, and come nightfall she was supposed to find out where they all were. Klaus and Rebekah stood quietly as she dialed the number on her cellphone. It rang two or three times, and Bonnie finally picked up.

_Hello? Irina? _

"Yeah, Bonnie. It's me!" she said.

_Oh my God! Guys, it's Irina!_

Irina gave a fake laugh, and said; "So what are you all doing? I miss you."

_Well, Caroline is making us do Senior prank night! _

Irina felt her face fall. She had been looking forward to it since middle school, and she had so many plans established. "I completely forgot about prank night Bonnie… Are you filling the pool with toilet paper?" she asked.

Bonnie laughed, and said; _We haven't yet, but Matt and I will get right on that. Where are you?_

"I can't say. Just, stay safe, okay?" Irina said.

_We will. Please, come home soon, okay?_

"I'll try," Irina said, fighting the tears in her eyes.

She hung up the phone, and one of the tears fell down her face. Klaus held out his hand, and she gave him the phone. Klaus drove them to the school, and took Irina to the gym. "Wait in here," he ordered as he left with Rebekah.

When Irina was certain they were gone, she ran the opposite direction to one of the classrooms. She looked everywhere, and passed some guys with plastic wrap in the hallway. She ran to one of the classrooms, and was happy to find all of her friends in it. There was only one missing…. _Elena._

Everyone in the classroom looked at her. She was out of breath and her eyes were wide. "Where's Elena?" she asked.

"Irina? What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked.

"_Where is Elena?_!" she shouted.

"She just left, why?" Caroline asked.

"Klaus is here," she breathed before running to find Elena.

* * *

Irina ran and ran, until she found Klaus pulling Elena down the hallway.

"You put a rather large kink in my plans sweetheart. The only point of me breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to create more hybrids. I haven't been able to do that. Now my bet is, it has something to do with the fact that you're still breathing," he said as he pulled her by the arm.

"Klaus, please stop. You don't have to kill her!" Irina said.

"I thought I told you to stay put," he told her.

She huffed. "I didn't listen," she said.

"Well then, you'll be tagging along," he replied as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along as well.

Elena was grunting as the grip on their arms tightened. "If you're going to kill me just do it," she said.

"Not until I know I'm right. But I do have ways of making you suffer," he said.

He pulled them through the door and they entered the gym. Students were busy setting up paper cups all over the gym floor. They were all in danger if they stayed here. Luckily, Klaus seemed to want the whole gym to himself.

"Attention seniors," Klaus began in an American accent; "You have officially been busted. Prank night is over! Head on home."

He stopped in front of Dana and Chad- the same two that he compelled at the decade dance. It seemed like forever ago. "You two; I remember you," he said in his normal accent.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Dana asked.

"Oh don't worry, I wasn't in my right head last time we met. Lift your foot, please, Dana," he said.

Irina looked at him with a confused expression, and asked; "What are you doing?"

"If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death. Understood?" he asked.

Chad nodded his head, and Elena said; "Don't Klaus! You don't have to hurt anybody."

"Oh, come on, love. Of course I do," Klaus said.

They were standing there for a while, and Klaus was watching Dana intently. She was beginning to falter, but Irina used her magic to try and help her out. It wasn't working very well.

"Where's Stefan? What did you do to him?" Elena asked.

"Stefan's on a time out," Klaus said as a door opened.

Bonnie and Matt entered the gym, and Irina just knew Klaus was going to kill her. "Bonnie, get out of here!" she yelled.

Klaus zoomed over to where she stood, and said; "Well, I was wondering when you'd show up. Now we can get started. Dana, why don't you relax. You and Chad sit tight!"

"Klaus, please don't do this," Irina begged.

He ignored her and turned his attention to Bonnie. "I assume you're the reason Elena's still walking around alive?" he asked.

"That's right. If you want someone to blame, blame me," she said.

"Ah, there's no need for blame, love. It's just, your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects, and since you caused the problem, I'm gonna have you find the fix," Klaus said.

The gym doors opened again, and Rebekah was dragging Tyler in.

"Get off me," Tyler protested.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister, Rebekah. Word of warning—she can be quite mean," Klaus said.

Rebekah's expression soured, and she said; "Don't be an ass."

"Klaus please, let Tyler go!" Irina said, remembering what happened to Ray and his pack.

"I'm going to make this very simple," he said as he pulled Tyler to the middle of their group. "Everytime I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually."

Klaus bit into his wrist, and stuck it to Tyler's mouth, giving him no choice but to drink. "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake, you'd better hurry," he said before snapping his neck.

Irina covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes went wide. Sure, Tyler was an ass, but he was one of her best friends. Everyone else had similar expressions. They all went to kneel around Tyler.

"He killed him," Matt said.

"He's not dead," Elena said. "Klaus' blood will turn him into a vampire."

Klaus, who had been sitting quietly, stood and said; "And if Bonnie is successful, he'll live through his transition. Go on then, go fetch your grimoires and your enchantments and whatnot. I'll hold on to Elena, for safe keeping…"

Bonnie hesitated, but Elena nodded her head. She took Irina and Matt's hand and they ran out of the gym.

As they were walking through the hallway, Matt asked; "What are you gonna do?"

"We can't really do anything! That curse is over a thousand years old- our grimoires don't go back that far," Bonnie said.

"Can you ask those dead witches that helped you before?" Matt asked.

"I'm not in contact with them anymore," Irina said. "They cut us off when I brought Jeremy back."

Bonnie slowed when Irina said that, and said; "That's it! We can't contact the dead, but Jeremy can!"

"What the hell are you talking about Bonnie?" Irina asked.

Matt and Bonnie shared a look, and Irina was getting annoyed. "Bonnie…"

"Okay, so all summer, Jeremy has been seeing ghosts. It was the consequence the dead witches spoke of," Bonnie explained.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Irina asked softly.

Bonnie raised her eyebrow. "You have been gone all Summer. How could he have told you?" she asked.

"Good point. Let's try and call Jeremy," Irina said.

* * *

They spent thirty minutes trying to get Jeremy, but he was not picking up. She was beginning to get worried.

"He's not picking up you guys," Irina said.

"I'll go get my stuff, and then we can go get your grimoires, okay?" Matt asked.

"Okay Matt," they said together.

After Matt walked away, Irina remembered something. "Bonnie, there is a grimoire in your car! It might not go back very far, but it wouldn't hurt to look," she said.

"It doesn't have anything Irina. I practically memorized the entire thing over the summer," Bonnie said.

"So, there isn't anything about Originals or ghosts, or Original witches?" Irina asked.

"No. But we should go wait for Matt outside. Being in here gives me the creeps- those two Originals could be around any corner," Bonnie replied.

Irina nodded and they went outside.

* * *

Bonnie's phone rang, and she saw Matt's number flash across the screen. Bonnie put it on speaker, and said "Matt, it's me and Irina."

_Did you find Jeremy?_

"No, and I've called him like twenty times!" Bonnie replied.

_All right. I'll grab my keys and we'll head to his house._

"Okay. We'll meet you by your truck," she said.

The phone hung up, and they rushed to his truck. They were waiting and waiting, and Irina was trying to avoid asking about Jeremy and his newfound ability to see ghosts of girlfriend's past. It had been at least five minutes, and Matt should have been out there by now.

"Where is he?" Irina asked.

Bonnie's phone rang, and she put it on speaker phone. "What is taking so long?" she asked.

_This is going to sound crazy, but I think Vicki's trying to reach out to me._

"What?" Irina asked.

_I think she can help us save Tyler. _

"No, Jeremy can help us save Tyler," Bonnie said.

_We can't find Jeremy! We need to try something else! I have an idea, but I'll need your help. Meet me at the pool._

"I don't understand," Irina said.

_Jeremy can see ghosts because you brought him back from the dead. I need you to do that for me_.

"What!?" Bonnie said, and she and Irina shared a look. "No, Matt that's crazy."

_This is going to work, trust me_.

"No, Matt! We can't do that kind of magic anymore," Irina said.

_You don't need magic. You just need to be better at CPR than I was._

Irina looked to Bonnie as she hung up the phone. They both took off running towards the pool- Matt couldn't die, not tonight. They ran as fast as they could through the halls, and Irina kept tripping over her feet. When they finally got to the pool room, Irina gasped at what she saw. Matt was already in the water, and weighted to the pool floor. She had never really learned swimming- she would always just float in the shallow end. Bonnie wasted no time jumping into the water to pull Matt to safety.

* * *

Bonnie had been performing CPR for the past minute, and it wasn't working. Irina had never learned how to do it, but she tried anyway. When it didn't work for her, Bonnie took over. She was trying so hard, but it wasn't working.

"Please, Matt... I can't do this. There is nothing else we can do!" Bonnie said.

Irina took over for Bonnie after it was clear she was getting tired. She breathed into Matt's mouth, and began compressions on his chest. She was beginning to lose hope in this, when suddenly Matt coughed up the water from his lungs. Irina stopped what she was doing, and looked to him.

"It's okay, Matt. You're okay…" Bonnie said.

Irina pulled Matt into a hug, and helped him stand. Bonnie wrapped him in a towel and they left the pool area. They were headed to the weight room so that Matt could get a change of clothing.

"As soon as you're feeling better, I'm going to kill you," Bonnie said.

"But it worked- I saw Vicki," Matt said.

"You did?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. She said she had a message for you," Matt said.

"For me?" Bonnie asked.

Matt shook his head. "For both of you. From the witch that put the hybrid curse on Klaus," he said.

"The Original witch," Irina breathed.

"Yeah. She said that Elena shouldn't have survived Klaus' ritual. The hybrids can't transition because Elena's still alive," Matt said.

Irina thought about it for a moment, but it didn't make sense. A witch wanted a human dead? That didn't happen often, unless the human had somehow wronged the witch and pissed her off. But, the Original witch didn't know Elena. There had to be something more to this. The witch put the curse on Klaus, to make sure he couldn't make more hybrids. But, every curse had to have the ability to be broken, so…

Irina's thoughts were interrupted when Bonnie said; "Tyler…"

"He's gonna die, isn't he?" Matt asked.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Klaus said, as he leaned against the lockers. "Given the choice; doppelgänger or hybrid- I go hybrid every time."

"Wait, Klaus… please. You can't kill Elena," Irina said.

"I think you'll find I can pretty much do whatever I want," Klaus said.

Irina shook her head. "No, I mean, you don't want to. If you think about it, it would make perfect sense," she said.

"Enlighten me, sweetheart," Klaus quipped.

"Okay, so the witch placed the curse on you because she hated what you were, but a curse can't be unbreakable. That would be an imbalance to nature. So, the doppelgänger would break the curse. But it never ensured your ability to make more hybrids…." Irina said, but Klaus cut her off.

"I think I know where you're going with this sweetheart, and I admire your feeble attempt to save your friend, but I've been waiting a thousand years to have more hybrids. Nothing will stand in my way," Klaus said.

"Please, Klaus. I'm not lying- it makes sense!" she said.

He walked to Irina and grabbed her arm. "You two will stay here, or Irina will die, understood?" he said to Bonnie and Matt.

They nodded, and Klaus pulled Irina down the hallway. He practically threw her into the classroom, and said; "Rebekah, watch this one, will you?"

* * *

Once Klaus had thrown Irina into the room with Tyler, Caroline, and Rebekah, Caroline had embraced her in the tightest hug she'd ever received. Caroline let go, and Irina went to sit as far away from Tyler as she could. Caroline kept pestering her to know what Klaus was doing, and if Tyler would be okay, but Irina couldn't say anything. She was focusing on the fact that Rebekah- the girl who she'd tried to befriend, and actually connected with on a small level- had turned out to be just as evil as her brother.

Klaus came back later, and said; "Just in case Irina failed to mention it, I'll tell you myself. The verdict's in- The Original witch says the doppelgänger should be dead."

"Does that mean we can kill her?" Rebekah asked enthusiastically.

"No, I'm fairly certain it means the opposite, thanks to Irina and that lovely little brain of hers," Klaus quipped.

"What?" Rebekah asked as she pulled Caroline to the side.

"Call it a hunch," Klaus replied as he handed a vial of red liquid to Tyler.

Irina went to stand by Tyler. "What is that?" she asked.

"Elena's blood," Klaus replied, before saying to Tyler; "Drink it."

"No! No, no, no… Tyler don't!" Caroline protested.

"If he doesn't feed he'll die anyway, love," Klaus said. "Consider this an experiment."

Irina looked between Klaus and Tyler, and then put her hand on his shoulder. "Do it, Tyler. It'll be okay," she said.

Tyler, who was sweating and shaking, stood up and took the vial from Klaus. Irina backed away as he downed the entire vial. This time it was different- he clutched his chest and began thrashing around on the floor. He was screaming, and he was obviously in pain. He calmed down a bit, and the yelling became softer. He looked up, and his eyes were gold. Veins were protruding beneath them, and he hand fangs. It worked- he was a hybrid. He wasn't going to die.

"Well that's a good sign," Klaus said.

* * *

Irina was walking through the school, trying to figure out where she should go. She wanted to go see Jeremy, but he still wasn't answering his phone. She was on what was probably her fiftieth call to him, and still she got his inbox.

"Hey, Jeremy… it's Irina. I really need to speak with you, so if you could just call me back, or at least let me know where you are in some way, I would really be grateful. I love you, Jer… bye," she said.

She hung up the phone and turned a corner, before running into Stefan. "Careful, Irina," he quipped with a smirk on his face.

"Stefan… you scared me," she said.

"It's just so easy, Irina," he said, before grabbing her arm. "Come with me."

"Where are we going now?" she asked.

"'To the boarding house," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

Stefan sighed. "Klaus had some business to take care of. I'll be making sure you and Elena are safe until he returns," he said.

"What does he want with me!" Irina shouted.

Stefan didn't say anything. He simply led her to his car, which she assumed he had run home to get, and opened the door for her. The ride to his home was silent- neither one of them said a word. Irina lifted her sleeves, and both of her arms had bruises on them from where people kept grabbing her arms and pulling her places. The next person to do it would get a serious headache.

They arrived to the boarding house, and Stefan led her inside. She didn't know what was going on, so she just followed in silence. They walked to the den area, and heard Damon speaking to Elena.

"I promise you, I will _never_ leave you again," Damon told her.

"Well isn't this cozy…" Stefan said.

Damon stood, and Irina went to stand beside Elena. "What are you doing here brother?" Damon asked.

"Last I checked, I lived here," Stefan quipped as he poured himself a drink. "Klaus is gone, but he's asked me to keep watch on you two until he returns. You are both under my protection."

"So you just expect me to stay here?" Irina asked.

"Well this is a boarding house," Stefan replied.

Irina scoffed. "Damon lives here too. Maybe he doesn't want me here," she said.

"Irina, I want you to listen to me, and listen well. You are under my protection. If you aren't here, I cannot protect you. So, you will be staying near Elena at all times, and I will be protecting you until Klaus returns. If not, I'll simply compel you to do as I say. It's not a problem for me," he said before leaving the room.

Elena and Irina looked to Damon with shocked expressions. He looked genuinely concerned for his brother. Something was seriously wrong with Stefan, and Irina didn't like this new guy at all.

* * *

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  
― Edmund Burke


	19. patrick swayze

_We got to 50 reviews, you guys! Thank you so much! I love knowing people are reading the story. I'd like to offer a big thanks to shadowslayer23 for all the questions and interest in the story! :D Enjoy! _

* * *

My black fire's burning bright,  
Maybe I'll go out tonight.  
We can paint the town  
In blue.

- Serial Killer by Lana Del Rey

* * *

_Hey, Lena. What are you up to this morning? –Irina_

Irina placed the phone on her bed. After much persuading- and the threat of witchy migraines- Stefan finally agreed to let Elena and Irina stay in their own homes, provided they try to stay safe.

_Vampire hunter practice with Alaric. You? –Elena_

Irina smiled sadly at her phone. She felt bad for Elena- the girl's boyfriend, or ex, was a century old vampire who had turned off his emotions to become a ripper. That was bound to make any girl a bit… anxious.

_I have a job to save… I have a meeting with Roger this morning at 7. Wish me luck! –Irina _

Irina sighed as she stood to get dressed. Today was the first day of school, and she had to waste her morning in a meeting with her boss, because her vacation was meant to end yesterday. Bonnie had made an excuse- saying that she was following leads on her birth parents. She only hoped it would be enough to convince him to let her continue working there.

_Good luck! –Elena _

_Stay safe! –Irina _

Irina showered and prepared for the day. It was the first day of her senior year, and she wanted to impress. She dressed in a cream-colored dress that had a blue butterfly print. She put on a blue cardigan over it, because her arms still had bruises on them from being pulled around the night before.

She pulled her brown hair into a ponytail, and tied it with a ribbon. She fastened her necklace, and ran out the door to her car. She couldn't be late for her meeting with Roger.

* * *

She parked in front of the music store, and walked in- expecting to see Roger at the front counter. She didn't see him there, so she went to his office.

"Roger?" she asked.

"Back here!" he called to her.

She opened his office door, and saw him rearranging his office furniture. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I needed a bit of a change. Please, sit Irina," he said.

She sat, and said; "I know I was meant to come back yesterday, but…"

"Yes, Bonnie told me about your lead on your birth parents. How is that going?" he asked.

"Uh, fine, I guess," she said.

"Good!," he said. "Unfortunately, during your vacation, we've no longer had a need for your particular services."

She was confused. Were they no longer doing music lessons? "Oh, okay," she said.

"Have a nice day, Irina," Roger said.

"Okay then, bye," she said.

She was completely confused. Roger was normally pleasant, but he didn't even want an explanation. That was… odd. He seemed to be in such a hurry to get her out of there. She just shook her head, and got in the car so she could go to school. She could have cried right then, because she had loved her job, and now it was just... gone.

* * *

Irina met up with her three besties in the parking lot of the high school. They were just standing and looking at the school, like they had never seen it before. Caroline always made such a big deal about senior year, but honestly- Irina felt no different than she had any other year.

"Here we are- senior year," Caroline said.

"Anyone else think this should feel slightly more… empowering?" Bonnie asked.

Irina nodded her head in agreement, while Caroline just gave Bonnie one of her signature 'queen-bitch' looks.

"Okay, so prank night was a bust. But we are accepting it, and moving on!" Caroline said.

"You're right," Irina began as they walked towards the school. "I mean, why should I let the fact that I just lost my job, or that my boyfriend is seeing the ghosts of his dead girlfriends, hinder this experience?"

"Wait… Bonnie, you told her?" Caroline asked.

"She would have found out eventually!" Elena interjected.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and said; "Whatever- why should I let the fact that my boyfriend was turned into a hybrid put a damper on an otherwise fabulous day?"

They kept walking a few feet, when Elena suddenly stopped. "Today's our anniversary. Technically, Stefan and I met on the first day of school last year."

"Yeah, you win," Caroline said.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Bonnie asked.

Elena sighed. "I have to be here. I have to put it behind me. New year, new life," she said before walking into the school.

* * *

Irina was walking to her locker before her first class, when Jeremy came up behind her. "So what, it's not cool to talk to Juniors anymore?" he asked.

She turned to face her locker and sighed as she entered the combination. "Hey, happy first day," she said.

He looked confused and said; "What's wrong?"

"Bonnie told me," she said, lowering her voice. "When were you going to tell me that you've been seeing ghosts of your dead girlfriends?"

"You're mad," Jeremy replied.

She scoffed. "No, I'm just resigned to the fact that I'm sharing space in our relationship with Anna and Vicki," she said.

"I haven't talked to Vicki in a while," Jeremy said.

"You should have told me, Jeremy. The fact that you hadn't talked to Vicki is not the point," she replied.

"Look, I know, okay? But I had to see Anna again. She had information that Damon needed," Jeremy defended.

Irina turned to him and said; "I get it, Jeremy. But, put yourself in my shoes. You _loved_ both of them. And you guys didn't break up- they died. And you keep letting them back in!"

"You think I want any of this?" he asked.

Irina sighed. "I- um- I think you have the power over whether or not you see them. Remember that, okay?" she said as she walked off.

* * *

Irina's school day was actually uneventful, other than the fact that Rebekah the bitch Original was in her English class. She was stretching next to Caroline when the captain of the team asked; "has anyone seen Dana?"

Caroline and Irina shared a nervous look, and Irina jumped when Rebekah came up behind her. "Sounds like you have an opening on the squad," she said.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked as Rebekah began stretching.

Irina was beginning to get pissed. Klaus had ruined her summer, and she'd be damned if she let Rebekah ruin her senior year. The Original sister ignored Caroline's question and continued stretching, which annoyed Irina even more.

"Hey… hey! You can't just come here and infiltrate all of our lives," Irina said.

Caroline made it known that she agreed with Irina, to which Rebekah replied; "I'm only interested in yours. Your spark, your popularity… maybe even your boyfriend," she said to Caroline.

They continued their stretching while Caroline went to talk to Tyler. There was no way Irina was going down without a fight. Rebekah- being the vampire she was- was able to do a perfect tumble, landing in a split. Of course she got praise for that, but she seemed genuinely impressed when Irina did one just as well.

"It's more impressive when I do it," Irina said after practice.

Rebekah furrowed her brow and asked; "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm actually human. I've worked for it," she said before leaving the locker room and going to her car.

* * *

Irina and Bonnie were walking through the school that evening with Jeremy. They had to get a book they forgot, before going to the bonfire. Jeremy was totally freaked about something, and Irina and Bonnie were trying to make sense of it.

"Okay, so what is going on?" Bonnie asked.

"It's Vicki… she's trying to come back, with help from Matt," Jeremy said.

Bonnie and Irina looked at each other. "How do you know this?" Bonnie asked.

"Anna told me," Jeremy said.

"Wait, you talked to Anna about this?" Irina asked.

Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes. "She's on the other side, okay? I thought she might know something," he said.

"About what?" Bonnie asked. "I thought they were all alone over there."

"Somehow Vicki has been communicating with some super strong witch," Jeremy said.

That made the two girls stop. "If there's another witch involved, don't you think you should have come to us before you went to Anna?" Irina asked.

Jeremy got a faraway look for a moment, before saying; "Not now, Anna."

"She's here?" Irina asked.

"She's just trying to help!" Jeremy said.

Irina shook her head, and held up her hands in an _I'm-done-with-this_ pose. "I can't—I can't deal with this," she said as she walked away.

"Irina!" Jeremy and Bonnie said together.

She turned to face them and said; "Matt's trying to resurrect his dead sister! I think I'll go deal with that instead!"

Irina turned to leave again when her phone rang. She sighed and answered it, but the voice on the other end of the line made her stop in her tracks. She heard Bonnie catch up to her, so she put it on speaker.

"Matt… Matt, slow down! What happened?" Irina asked.

_I messed up, Irina._

"What? How?" Bonnie asked.

_Vicki's back. She's trying to kill Elena so she can stay. _

"Where is she?" Irina asked.

_I don't know, just… please help! _

"Okay Matt, meet us in Ric's classroom. We'll be waiting, okay?" Bonnie said.

Matt agreed, and they rushed to Ric's room as Irina ended the call.

* * *

Matt arrived only minutes later, and kept apologizing for what he did. They told him to explain what happened, and he told them how- in return for killing Elena- the powerful witch would help Vicki stay on this side, so she wouldn't be alone anymore.

"I didn't think she'd do something like this. I trusted her," Matt said.

"Matt, you need to tell us exactly what you did to let Vicki out, so we can send her back," Irina said.

Matt looked at them, and then sighed. "Okay. She told me to light candles in a circle, and then I had to drip blood onto a picture of us," he said.

Irina sighed and nodded her head. It was a familiar spell, even though she had never personally performed it. They went looking through their grimoires until Bonnie found something.

"I found a spell that can block whatever magic is helping Vicki," Bonnie said, handing the grimoire to Irina.

She looked over the spell, and nodded. "Yes, this will work. Give me your hand, Matt," she said as she sat across from Bonnie.

Matt unwrapped his already injured hand, and Bonnie shook her head. She reached for the other one and cut down the center of it. He flinched, and Bonnie turned his hand over to let the blood drop onto the picture he brought with him.

_Phasmatos Redux Redismo Sus Terra…_

That was what they chanted as Matt kept dripping blood. They held hands, and channeled each other's energy. They noticed as Matt looked beyond where they sat- Vicki must be there. She must have asked what was going on.

"They're fixing my mistake," Matt said.

Vicki must've said something else, because Matt wasn't paying attention to them anymore.

"Bonnie… Irina—hurry up," Matt said.

Irina shook her head, and said; "The spell is working, Matt."

"She's only here because of you," Bonnie added.

Matt stood as Irina and Bonnie continued to chant. After a few moments of a one-sided conversation, Matt said; "Goodbye Vick."

The candles flared, and Irina and Bonnie looked to Matt. "She's gone," he said.

* * *

_Irina, come on… stop dodging my calls! Don't you think we should at least talk about this? I mean, you've been gone all summer._

That was the message she got on her voicemail from Jeremy, but she just couldn't call him back. He was still seeing the ghost of Anna, and he loved her. She was losing her boyfriend to a ghost- what the hell did that say about her? She sighed and put her phone on the bedside table. Tomorrow was illumination night, and Caroline had already roped her into helping. She laid down and tried her best to get a good night sleep.

* * *

Jeremy had just left Irina a voicemail when Anna appeared. She was confused as to why she was there, but Jeremy was just so happy to see her. He wasn't questioning it. He reached out to touch her hand, knowing full well that he wouldn't feel anything. But, when their fingers met, he felt it. She was there, and there was no way he was letting her go. He was confused, though. He loved Irina, much more than he had ever loved Anna, so why was he so relieved to see the ghost of a girl who was never really his girlfriend.

He wanted to express his concerns, but the thought of Anna being with them got more comforting as time went on. She stayed with him that night- they were just sleeping next to each other. Irina was still in the back of his mind, because he loved her too, but Anna was right there at that moment- and he never thought he'd see her again. Suddenly he felt a hand on his face. He thought it was Anna, but she was still sleeping. He turned to see the woman who had appeared in his dream, and took him to Irina.

"Oh my gosh," he said as he sat up.

"What is it?" Anna asked as she sat up.

They both looked at the woman in front of them. She looked so much like Irina, but it was so clear to tell that they weren't the same person. They had the same chocolate curls, and the same full lips. But, this woman was paler, and her eyes were hazel. She was wearing a long, blue, medieval type dress. She smiled at Jeremy, and he turned his head to the side.

"How did you get into my house?" he asked.

"I just wanted to see you, and here I am," she said.

"Why did you want to see Jeremy?" Anna asked.

Her smile fell as she looked at Anna. "Well, he is dating my daughter. Which brings me to my first question; why are you here?"

"She's here because I was thinking of her," Jeremy said.

"And that's my next question," she began. "Why were you thinking of her when you're dating my daughter?"

"How is she your daughter?" Jeremy asked. "You're like, twenty."

"Don't answer a question with a question, Jeremy. I am here to warn you. You'd better not hurt my daughter- it wouldn't be in your best interests. I like you; you're good for her, but I don't condone your actions," she said before adding; "I know you have doubts about Anna. Don't you think it's odd that she's here when Irina is in the back of your mind at all times?" She vanished after that.

Jeremy looked to Anna, whose eyes had widened considerable, and he sighed. Nothing could ever be simple anymore. Jeremy got out of bed and picked up his phone to try calling Irina again, and when he turned around, Anna was gone.


	20. disappointments

_Here we are, another chapter! :D I hope you like it! _

* * *

At the end of the line  
There's no more time  
And you go it alone  
You can never come home  
At the end of the line

- Oh Death by Noah Gundersen

* * *

Caroline met up with Irina at the grill that day. She was frantically looking for a new job since getting fired from the music store. She was getting an interview to bartend on the weekends, but Caroline wasn't as optimistic as she normally would've been. They normally don't give a job behind the bar to a highschool student.

"Hey Irina, how'd the interview go?" she asked.

"I think it went well," Irina replied. "I should know soon if I got the job or not. Do you think I will?"

Caroline shrugged and said; "Come with me!"

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Me, you, Bonnie, and Jenna are setting up lanterns," Caroline said.

Irina smiled. "Oh my gosh, how is Jenna? I haven't seen her since I got back," she said.

"She's great. Her control is actually pretty good," Caroline said as Irina walked outside, and Caroline added; "I think Alaric actually has a lot to do with it."

"I'm glad she's not having a difficult time," Irina replied.

* * *

Caroline and Irina met up with Bonnie and Jenna, who came prepared with dozens of lanterns. Jenna quickly wrapped Irina in a tight hug.

"It's nice to see you too Jenna," Irina chuckled.

Jenna smiled at Irina and said; "I'm so happy you're back. Jeremy needs you."

"Why does he need me?" Irina grumbled.

Bonnie sighed. "Because, you can drive away the ghosts. If you're here, he won't have a reason to hold on to them," she said.

"Yeah, unless he loves them or something," Irina quipped.

The other three rolled their eyes as Irina climbed the ladder to hang another lantern. She lit the battery operated 'candle' and descended the ladder.

"So when you did the spell to send Vicki away, did that get rid of Anna too?" Caroline asked.

"I wish," Irina said.

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

Irina sighed and leaned against the ladder. "All I did was block the magic that was helping Vicki get a physical foothold here. Jeremy's still got a _direct line_ to the other side, and as long as he wants to see Anna, or she wants to see him… she's still here," she said.

Jenna sighed and shook her head at Jeremy's actions, and Caroline shared a look with Bonnie. "Okay, you don't actually think I can resist commenting on that," Caroline said.

"There, you commented," Irina said.

Caroline scoffed and said; "Bonnie… talk sense into your sister."

"What am I supposed to do, Caroline? Force her to hate Jeremy until he stops with this whole… ghost girlfriend crap?" Bonnie asked.

Irina rolled her eyes and said; "You know what, this is just as much my fault as anyone else's."

"Care to elaborate?" Jenna asked.

"I went against the balance of nature… _twice_. Both Jeremy and Jenna are meant to be dead right now, even though I don't want them to be. That's why I brought them back. Nevertheless, nature's balance was upset, and now I'm paying the consequences," Irina said.

"We just want you to say you're not okay with it!" Caroline said.

"I'm a thousand times not okay with it! I just don't know what to do about it," Irina replied.

Caroline was about to say something when Damon pulled up in his blue convertible. The four of them walked over to see what he could possibly want.

"Greetings Blondie… witchies… and auntie red. You know, it's always nice to see you not dead," Damon quipped. Apparently he was in a good mood- _not!_

"What do you want, Damon?" Jenna asked.

"I think Irina and Bonnie got their voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan," Damon said.

"Why do you say that?" Bonnie asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost," Damon replied.

Irina's expression became unbelieving. "What?!" she asked.

"Why would you think that?" Caroline asked.

"Maybe because he chained me to a chair, and shoved a hot poker in my chest. Let's just say I'm having déjà vu," Damon said.

Irina scoffed. "Well, karma's a bitch isn't it, Damon?"

He glared at her and said; "Well, I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead. Whatever you screwed up, fix it!"

He drove off, leaving four very confused young ladies behind him.

"I thought you said that ghosts couldn't physically interact with people," Jenna said.

"They can't!" Bonnie replied.

Bonnie and Irina rushed to their car while Jenna and Caroline followed.

* * *

Matt caught up with them and walked with them to their car. They filled him in on what was happening, and he seemed confused as to why Mason Lockwood would want Damon to suffer. Apparently he didn't knw that Damon had killed Mason Lockwood.

"Matt, have you seen Vicki at all?" Irina asked.

"No, you did that spell thing and sent her back," Matt said.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, she wasn't sent back by us. We just blocked the magic helping her. So you haven't seen her at all?" she asked.

"I haven't seen Vicki, I swear!" Matt said. "I sent her back, just like you told me to."

"Are you sure? Because she has just as much reason to haunt Damon as Mason Lockwood does," Bonnie said.

"She's gone, okay? If she was her I'd know it," Matt replied.

"Wait, why do you think it's Vicki and not Mason?" Jenna asked.

"Because if any other ghost other than Vicki Donovan has a physical foothold on our side, that means that Damon's right, and something has gone terribly wrong," Irina explained.

"Well, then… let's go. We'll fix it!" Caroline said.

Matt shook his head. "I've had enough of this ghost stuff to last forever, so you guys can leave me out of this one," he said.

The four ladies all watched him as he walked away, and they all wore sad expressions.

"I feel so sad for him. It took a lot for him to send his sister away," Jenna said.

"Yeah," Bonnie sighed.

Caroline and Jenna looked at Irina and Caroline said; "So much strength as a man…"

"We've got a ghost problem to deal with, Caroline. Save the Jeremy lecture for later," Bonnie said, trying to help her sister out.

Irina bent down to pick up her bag, but the grimoire fell out and opened to a page filled with writing. The four of them jumped back and looked at the book.

"Okay, did your grimoire just…" Caroline began.

"Yeah, I think so," Bonnie said.

Irina bent down to pick up the grimoire, and her eyes widened as she read the spell.

"Okay, please tell me that's a recipe for witch cookies," Jenna said.

Irina shook her head, and showed the page to Bonnie, who said; "It's a manifestation spell. It's used to reveal veiled matter."

"Veiled matter?" Jenna asked.

"Ghosts…" Irina explained.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina got in the car with Jenna and Caroline, and Bonnie drove them to the dead witches' house. Caroline explained the house to Jenna on the way there, and Jenna didn't seem too keen on going to a house where the spirits of a hundred dead witches' could turn on her.

"So this is where you brought Jeremy back to life?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah," Irina replied.

"Sorry, I know it's creepy, but we needed a private place to do the spell," Bonnie explained.

Caroline gave a nervous laugh, and said; "There's no chance it's haunted by the hundred dead witches who were horrifically burned to death in this very spot… is there?"

Irina gave a small smile and shook her head at her friend. "They're not here anymore. They made it clear they were never coming back," she said.

She helped Bonnie set up the grimoires and candles, while Caroline and Jenna had the task of lighting them. Irina and Bonnie 'assumed the position'- as Damon so cleverly termed it- and Irina sat across from Bonnie.

"So… when they said they were never coming back… was that like, a pinkie swear?" Jenna asked.

* * *

Jeremy had been with Anna all day, and it was actually kind of nice. He knew he loved Irina, but he just couldn't let Anna go. He was so confused, and Anna's constant presence didn't make it any better- he knew she couldn't help it, though. What really confused him is the woman he kept seeing- the one who claimed to be Irina's mother. Why was he seeing her? Was she getting help from the other side? Why wouldn't she just leave him alone.

He led Anna into the bathroom and looked in the stalls to make sure nobody could overhear them. He turned to Anna, and looked her in the eye.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked.

"When I was talking to Elena earlier- and she asked if you were there- why did you tell me to lie?" he asked.

"Elena is Irina's best friend. She won't like what's going on between us," Anna said.

Jeremy scoffed. "What is going on between us?" he asked. "How are we able to touch? Vicki had to use magic to do that."

"I don't know- honestly I have no idea," Anna said.

"This witch on the other side that gave Vicki her foothold- is she helping you now?" Jeremy asked.

Anna's eyes went wide. "What? No! I'm all alone, Jeremy. I told you that," she said.

"Swear to me," Jeremy said.

"I swear! I'm not any danger to you or anybody- I promise," Anna said as she grabbed his hand. "I need you to believe me."

Jeremy shook his head. "I shouldn't even be talking to you. This is not okay," he said.

In that moment, the woman claiming to be Irina's mother appeared beside him. "You're right, Jeremy. It's not okay. Even if you weren't dating Irina, you shouldn't be holding on like this. It's unhealthy. Send her away," she said.

Anna, who couldn't see the other woman, said; "Then send me away, Jeremy. I'm only here because you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you."

Jeremy seemed to realize something. "Are you?" he asked.

"What?" Anna replied, while the other woman gave Jeremy a knowing look.

"Anna, what is the witch on the other side doing? Why are you still here?" he asked.

"Jeremy, I'm all alone, I promise!"

"I don't believe you!" Jeremy said, getting angrier.

Anna shook her head. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because I don't want you here!" he shouted.

Anna looked hurt. She reached out her hand to caress Jeremy's cheek, and her fingers made his skin tingle, but it wasn't comfortable. Suddenly, it was like he was on pills again. There was a fog in his mind. He still loved Anna, right?

"What is she doing?" the other woman asked.

Jeremy turned to look at the other woman. She was seriously getting on his nerves. He was supposed to be here with only Anna to talk to. He wasn't supposed to be harassed by the dead mother of his girlfriend. He found himself wanting to do anything to make her go away, and he knew exactly how to do that. She never stayed when he began talking to Anna.

"I don't know why this is happening, or when it's gonna stop," Jeremy said as he turned to Anna again. "But before it's done, I have to do this…"

He leaned in to kiss her, but it wasn't having the desired effect.

* * *

Once the candles were lit, and the vampires stood silently as Irina and Bonnie began chanting. They were holding their hands in front of them- palms facing upward- and they both felt the magic flowing through the room. Jenna and Caroline looked wary as wind began flowing around them. The flames on the candles flickered, and the other two were sharing a nervous look as they noticed the magic taking effect.

"You guys, I don't like this," Caroline said.

Irina and Bonnie paid her little attention and kept focusing on their chanting. The words were flowing out of their mouths now, and the effects were getting stronger. Suddenly, the wind stopped and the flames from the candles died down. There was someone holding onto her left hand, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her Grams smiling back at her. She was absolutely speechless.

"Oh my God, is that your…" Caroline began.

"Grams?" Bonnie asked.

* * *

Jeremy was still aware of the other woman's angry eyes on him, and he knew she wouldn't be happy with him. The only reason he was kissing Anna was to say goodbye, and to make the other woman leave him the hell alone. Once again his plan completely backfired when Elena walked in on them in the middle of their kiss.

"Anna?" she asked.

Anna looked at Elena with wide eyes, and the woman who claimed she was Irina's mother stepped forward.

"You can see us?" she asked.

Elena looked confused. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I think Anna and Jeremy need some privacy, since he seems to have chosen a ghost over his _living_ girlfriend. May we talk, please?" she asked Elena.

Elena looked skeptical, but followed the woman out of the bathroom. "What just happened?" she asked.

"My goodness. You look just like her. I never had the pleasure of meeting her myself, but I watched from beyond," she said.

"I'm not Katherine… Who are you?" Elena asked.

"My name is Aoife, and I'm Irina's mother. Before I tell you anything, I am asking you not to tell her I am here," she said.

"Why are you here?" Elena asked.

Aoife smiled and said; "I was originally here to keep an eye on my daughter. I promised her that, even though she doesn't remember. I was supposed to fulfill a task for the original witch, but I'm not going to do that."

"What do you mean you were supposed to fulfill a task for the Original witch?" Elena asked.

"You weren't meant to survive the sacrifice, Elena. That was her insurance plan that Niklaus would never be able to make his hybrids. However, I'm not her minion. I won't kill you… I will, however, ask something from you in return for sparing your life," she said.

"What?" Elena asked.

Aoife smiled. "Keep being a good friend to my daughter. Help send Anna back however you can. I want my daughter to be happy, Elena, and she had happiness with Jeremy. They're good for each other," she said.

"I agree- I want them to be happy," Elena said.

"Thank you, Elena. You _are_ the best doppleganger so far," Aoife said. "Please, make sure Jeremy doesn't tell Irina about me. She can't know anything yet."

With that, Aoife vanished, and Elena went back into the bathroom to berate her brother.

* * *

Bonnie looked at Irina's wide-eyed state, and knew that she saw Grams too. The tears on her face were proof of that, but she seemed to be speechless. Bonnie let the tears fall down her face, as she took Irina's free hand in her own.

"I can't believe you're here!" Bonnie cried.

Grams smiled at them both and said; "Stop your crying. We don't have time for tears." She turned to the two other people in the room. "Hello again, Caroline… Jenna," she said.

"Hi Ms. Sheila," Caroline and Jenna said together.

Sheila turned to Irina and said; "A fine mess you've made, honey. The witches told you there'd be consequences to bringing Jeremy back, and you did it anyway."

"I didn't have a choice," Irina said. "I love him, Grams. I couldn't just let him go."

"I understand, but you've cracked open the door to the other side. There's an old witch over here. She took advantage of it- she took advantage of you… both of you," Sheila said.

"I don't understand," Bonnie said.

"When you two did that spell to send Vicki Donovan away, she wedged the door wide open, giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business," Grams said.

"How do you know this?" Bonnie asked.

"Witches talk, honey, even on the other side. Who do you think makes all the rules?" she asked.

Irina shook her head. The witch had used her, and her sister. She was definitely not okay with this. "What does the witch want?" she asked.

"That's Original vampire business, not yours. I don't want either of you in the middle of that. I'm here because you both upset the balance of nature. It's up to both of you to set it right," Grams replied.

"We need to close that door," Irina said to Bonnie, and Sheila smiled at both of her granddaughter's determination to help.

* * *

Caroline called Elena to fill her in on the details. Jenna was there too, so she put it on speaker while Grams filled in her granddaughters on how they were supposed to do the spell. They walked into another area of the basement so they wouldn't interrupt the three witches. Caroline and Jenna told Elena how they needed to close the door to the other side.

"Apparently the old witch can draw power from this side using her talisman," Jenna said.

_Talisman…? My necklace,_ Elena replied.

"It's some juju power source, and I know you're not going to like this, but Bonnie needs to destroy it," Caroline said.

Elena sighed and said; _I just walked in on Jeremy kissing the reason I'm completely okay with that._

"Wait, what?" Jenna asked.

"Are you kidding?" Caroline asked.

Elena sighed again, and said; _I wish. Look, I don't have the necklace. Damon has it somewhere. Text him- I'll call you right back._

Caroline hung up, and Jenna sighed. "I'm going to go knock some sense into my idiot nephew. Will you be okay here?" she asked.

Caroline nodded, and walked back to the three witches who were setting up and looking through the grimoire. Caroline told them what Elena said, leaving out the bit about Jeremy kissing Anna, and Sheila told Bonnie and Irina to go with Caroline and find the necklace.

* * *

The three of them turned that bedroom upside down. Damon said that the necklace would be on the table beside his bed, and that's exactly where they looked. It was not there. Irina looked under every piece of furniture. She found several spiders, but no necklace. She was about to give up all hope, when Caroline said she'd call Elena.

"The necklace isn't where Damon said it would be, and now we can't reach Damon," she said.

_Listen, I need you to get Bonnie and Irina to hold off on sending the ghosts back._ Elena said.

"What? But you said you were in full support of getting rid of them," Caroline said.

Irina looked up from the drawers she and Bonnie were searching through. Elena could not back out now- there's no way she would… right?

_I was… Lexi's here and she's helping with Stefan, _Elena said.

"Okay look, let's just find the necklace first, and then we'll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas," Caroline said as she hung up the phone.

Bonnie and Irina shared a confused look before Bonnie said; "What are you talking about?"

"Um, Lexi's back, so Elena wants us to hold off on destroying the necklace," Caroline said.

"That's not all, Caroline. You said boyfriend dramas- as in plural," Irina said.

"What is it, Caroline?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline gave Irina a sad look and said; "Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna."

"What?" Irina asked.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said, and Irina knew she actually meant it.

Irina shook her head, and her eyes filled with tears. "He kissed her?" she asked.

Caroline gave a small nod, and Bonnie reached out to lightly squeeze her hand. It's how they comforted each other.

"She's got a foothold now, so she probably thinks that she's here to stay, but we are going to find that necklace. Okay?" Bonnie said.

Irina looked at her sister, who was giving her an optimistic look- one that Caroline was giving her as well. They both loved her, and would do anything for her, and that made her happy. It stopped her tears… for now. She gave them a small nod, and they continued on their search.

* * *

Their search had lasted for about an hour when Irina got a call from Jeremy. Caroline was the one to answer it- in full 'bitchy-best-friend' mode- and they learned that the ghosts of the tomb vampires had already killed Tobias Fell. In the end, Caroline was the one who figured out that Anna must have taken the necklace to prevent them sending her back. Jeremy was reluctant to believe, and Caroline angrily hung up on him- making Irina and Bonnie look at her in shock.

They were in the car- on the way back to the old witches' house- when Elena called Caroline. Jeremy had the necklace and was bringing it to the house so they could destroy it.

"What's going on up there?" Bonnie asked.

"That's Mrs. Lockwood's car," Caroline said.

A man walked in front of their car, and Irina recognized him from the founder's day celebration- before this whole business with Klaus and everything went down. He was one of the tomb vampires.

Caroline must have realized it too, because she said; "Bonnie, I'm going to get out of the car."

"What?!" Irina asked.

"And you're going to drive the hell away from here," Caroline continued.

"No way, we're not leaving you!" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie, we've got boyfriend ghost drama to deal with- and right now, the mother of mine is about to be vampire bait, so go and send them all back to the other side, okay?" she said.

Bonnie and Irina looked at each other, and Caroline got out of the car. Bonnie didn't want to go, but Irina convinced her that Caroline could take care of herself. They arrived to the dead witches' house and Irina used magic to light the candles. Jeremy arrived moments later to give them the necklace. Irina snatched the necklace from his hand, and he knew she was hurt. She knew about his kiss with Anna.

Irina threw the necklace into the fire, and took Bonnie's hand. They began chanting, and Irina felt someone separate her hands from Bonnie's. She looked and saw Grams standing between them, and she felt a tear roll down her face. This spell would send Grams back too- she had to keep reminding herself that it was for the greater good.

The fire made the necklace melt, before it let out a spark of energy. It zapped and sizzled. They kept chanting, and the magic was flowing through them.

"You are stronger than all of this," Sheila said. "I am so proud of you, both."

Suddenly, Grams was gone. Irina looked to Bonnie, and saw the tears on her sister's face. Bonnie took Irina's hand in hers, and squeezed it. It was a reminder- they would always be there for each other, even if they had no one else. Bonnie knew Irina needed some time alone with Jeremy, so she said she'd wait in the car.

"Irina…" Jeremy began once Bonnie was out of the house.

"Just go, Jeremy," Irina said softly. She didn't have it in her to hear his excuses anymore.

Jeremy shook his head. "I owe you an explanation," he said.

Irina's angry, tear-filled eyes flashed to his. "Matt let go of his sister before you let go of Anna- _his sister_, Jeremy. You know what you owe me? The respect of not making me listen to you explain yourself," she said.

"I am sorry, Irina," he said.

"You need to go… just go, Jeremy," she said.

He sighed and she could see the hurt in his eyes. He left, and she felt the tears fall down her face. She breathed in and sighed, and turned to leave. As she picked up the grimoire, the fireplace gave of a small explosion. She furrowed her brow, and went to see what had happened.

There, in the ashes of the fireplace, was the necklace- it had previously been melted and destroyed, but now it was completely unscathed. She picked it up and put it in her pocket before walking out to meet Bonnie in the car.

* * *

"Earthquakes just happen. Tornadoes just happen. Your tongue does not just happen to fall into some other girls mouth!"  
― Gemma Halliday, _Deadly Cool_


	21. take it slow

_THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I love hearing from all of you! _

_Allie: I wish you had an account so I could PM you! lol. Unfortunately, it's going to be a few chapters before Irina gets her memories back. I tried to shorten the length of time, but I really like where it is now. Certain things need to happen before she can remember. Don't worry though, there are a few moments of memories coming up - I promise! This story has been written for a while, so it'd be quite difficult for me to change everything around now. However, I did have a stopping point last time, and I posted a sequel to this. But, I think instead of doing that, I'm just going to continue it in this story, which means I'll need to change some things around towards the end. Don't worry, I'll try to post two updates a day if I can! :D _

* * *

Those three words  
Are said too much  
They're not enough

- Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

* * *

It had been a week since the kind-of breakup with Jeremy, and Irina was still upset. She wanted to forgive him- she wanted it more than anything in the world- but she just couldn't. It would be exactly like her previous boyfriend. Samuel Fell had been a running back on the football team, with gorgeous green eyes and red hair. She thought she was in love with him, but she knew now that she was just blinded by the lust. She was only fourteen, but she had given him everything.

Everyone warned her about him. Matt had kept an eye on him, even though Irina told him he didn't have to. She trusted him, and that was her first mistake. Even Tyler- who was now sentenced to being an eternal douche- had tried warning her, but she didn't listen. Every warning had gone in one ear, and out the other. Her excuse was always that they loved each other, and he would never betray her trust. She found out exactly how wrong she was during homecoming, her sophomore year.

They had been dating for a while now, and he seemed like the perfect boyfriend. She was busy cheering him on during the game, but he seemed… distracted. He didn't look up to give her subtle smiles like he normally did. After the game, she went looking for him, and found him making out with, and grinding against some girl under the bleachers. Her heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces, and ran to her grams' house as fast as she could. The older woman just smiled sadly in her understanding way, and listened to Irina go on-and-on about how stupid she felt.

Her grams made her feel better, and tried talking some sense into Irina, but it was useless. The girl was high on hormones, so the next day when Samuel came looking for her with apologies and explanations, she listened. His excuse was that he was feeling so frustrated, because he had hormones too. He actually made her feel like it was her fault, so she took him back. The next time he brought up the topic of sex between them, she gave in. It didn't feel right, but she didn't want to lose her boyfriend. Things were fine for a while between them, but Samuel started getting possessive.

He wanted her to cut all ties with her friends, and he would get angry at her when she would talk to Matt or Tyler. Everyone kept telling her that he was bad news, but she wouldn't listen. One night, when she was at the grill playing pool with her friends, he called her. He was demanding to know where she was, and why she wasn't with him. She tried explaining that he said he needed to study, so she was giving him space. He wanted her to come to his house, so she did. He was obviously drunk, and he was furious at her for hanging with Tyler and Matt.

.:|

* * *

|:.

_Irina arrived at Samuel's house and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and she was beginning to get worried. She opened the door- which hadn't been locked- and stepped inside. Samuel's parents weren't home, which wasn't very surprising. They were always away on business- much like her own father. She looked everywhere for him- his bedroom, the bathrooms, the library… he was nowhere to be found. _

_She opened the door to his father's study, and saw him sitting there staring at his phone. Why the hell hadn't he answered her when she was calling for him? She stood in the doorway with an annoyed look on her face and her hand on her hip. It was Caroline's signature pose, but everyone in their group had adopted it. He looked at her and rolled his eyes at her expression._

"_What the hell is your problem?" she asked._

"_I could ask you the same thing," he hissed._

_She got a shocked look on her face and said; "I've done nothing wrong."_

"_Were you enjoying your little threesome with Matt and Tyler?" he asked._

"_Excuse me?" she replied._

_He smirked, and it looked scary on his face. "Don't act like you're not into both of them. I know better," he said._

_He got up from his sitting position behind the desk, and staggered towards her. She noticed the half-empty bourbon bottle on the table, and when he got in her face, she could smell it on his breath. She drank all the time, but she had never gotten as drunk as he was now. This was bad- there was a reason the Fells didn't drink a lot; they were angry drunks. Irina and Bonnie were giddy drunks, while Elena and Caroline were flirty drunks, but Samuel- he was dangerous when he drank. _

_She took a step back and said; "You're drunk."_

"_Well, aren't you the smart one?" he spat._

_She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell of his breath. "I'm going home, Samuel. You're in no state to talk rationally," she said. _

_As she turned to leave, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. He was really hurting her, and she didn't appreciate it. She had been suppressing her witch powers for years, because she wanted to wait until Bonnie accepted her lineage before she started practicing again, but she really wanted to hurt him right now. She let a shock of electricity flow into his hand, and he yelped before letting go of her wrist. _

"_What did you do?" he asked._

"_We're over, Samuel. I'm sick of the way you treat me," she said._

"_We are not breaking up," he growled. _

_She rolled her eyes and said; "Yes we are- it's done. We're over. I should have never stayed with a cheating bastard like you in the first place."_

_As she was saying that, she saw the anger flash in his eyes, but she never expected what happened next. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor holding her face. He had hit her- no, punched her- and it hurt very badly. The look in his eyes was angry and unfeeling as he went to pour himself another glass of his dad's liquor. This wasn't worth it- she wouldn't be his punching bag. She used her magic to fling him into the wall, even though she was out of practice, it would still leave him sore. She left his house and called Caroline once she made it to the end of the street._

.:|

* * *

|:.

When she went to school after the incident, she tried wearing her sunglasses all day. She claimed it was because she had a headache, but Elena wouldn't let it go. Only Caroline and Bonnie knew what had happened, and that was only by chance. Elena was shocked to learn what Samuel did, but there wasn't much she could do. When Matt saw her putting makeup on it one day, he demanded that she tell him what happened. Irina told him the whole story, and both he and Tyler beat the crap out of Samuel. She eventually told her grams, and Sheila worked together with Sheriff Forbes to press charges against Samuel. He wouldn't bother her anymore, but that didn't mean she had forgotten.

That was why she couldn't forgive Jeremy. Her experience with Samuel had taught her a lesson, and she wouldn't relive it. However, when she thought about Jeremy, she didn't think about violence. With Samuel, it had been surprising at the time, but now that she thought about it she could see how the signs were all there. With Jeremy there were none of those. She sighed as she flipped the television on to break her thoughts. Bonnie would be home any minute, and she didn't want her sister to think she was still upset about Jeremy.

The front door opened, and Bonnie entered with Elena trailing behind her. They were laughing about something, but their laughter and smiles stopped when they saw Irina. Bonnie sighed and went to the kitchen table, taking the remote control from Irina.

"Hey!" Irina protested as Bonnie flipped off the television.

Bonnie and Elena sat across from her, and looked her in the eyes. Irina raised her eyebrow and said; "What?"

Elena sighed and said; "We're worried about you."

Irina rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, okay?" she said.

"No, you're not," Bonnie said shaking her head. "You've been moping around, and Caroline says your being bitchy to people on the squad."

Irina huffed. "No, I'm only being bitchy towards Rebekah, and she deserves it," she said.

"Nevertheless," Elena began, trying to diffuse the tension, "you're coming with us."

"Where?" Irina asked.

"My house," Elena said. "Caroline's already there, and we're not taking no for an answer."

Irina sighed and rolled her eyes. They had obviously planned this, and she didn't want to face the wrath of Caroline if she said no. Plus, she could use the distraction.

"Okay, fine," she said.

.:|

* * *

|:.

They arrived at Elena's house, and Irina was praying that Jeremy wasn't there. Elena said he had gone off with Matt, but she could sense the lie in her statement. She didn't push it, though. She just wanted a nice night without thinking of Jeremy. She got out of the car, and followed Elena and Bonnie into the house. When she entered she saw Caroline sitting in the living room. Her bubbly, blonde friend stood up and walked over to them.

"Irina, I'm so happy you agreed to come!" Caroline said as she squeezed Irina in one of her 'Care-Bear' hugs.

"Okay, Caroline…" Irina said.

Caroline let her go, and turned to Elena and Bonnie. "Did he explain?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, he did, and I think it's a good explanation," Caroline said as she picked up her keys from the bowl by the door.

Irina looked suspicious. "What are you talking about?" Irina asked.

Her three friends turned to her and Bonnie said; "We might have developed a little plan to get you and Jeremy to talk things out."

"What?" Irina asked.

"We're sorry Irina, but we hate seeing you like this. And you're too stubborn to listen to him, so we had to do something," Caroline said.

"There is seriously something wrong with all of you," Irina said.

Elena shrugged; "Maybe so, but we're your friends Irina. We love you, and you were happy with Jeremy. We don't want you to be sad anymore," she said.

"Wait, where is Jeremy? You said he went with Matt," Irina said.

"Well, then they lied. I have been here all day," Jeremy said.

The three girls walked out onto the porch. Irina tried to follow, but there was a barrier that blocked her exit. She tried using magic to make it go away, but nothing was working.

"I've spelled the entire house- neither of you can leave until you've resolved your spat. We're doing this for both of you… and your happiness," Bonnie said.

"What about Jenna?" Jeremy asked.

"She was the one who okayed it," Elena said.

Jeremy looked shocked. "Seriously… we're stuck in here?" he asked.

"Yep, bye-bye now," Caroline said, and the three girls ran to their cars.

.:|

* * *

|:.

Irina had been sitting on the sofa for over an hour, and Jeremy was sitting in the chair next to her. She would glance up at him every now and then, and most of the time she caught him looking back at her. She was getting uncomfortable- and hungry- but she wouldn't be the one to budge first. She let out a loud sigh, and Jeremy looked up from the floor. She knew he was staring at her, but she couldn't meet his eyes. If she did, she knew she'd forgive him of everything .She couldn't deny his beautiful, brown, puppy-eyes.

Jeremy sighed and said; "Irina, this is ridiculous. We're acting like children."

"Hmm, I didn't know children had make-out sessions with the ghosts of their former girlfriends," she said flippantly.

"Will you please just listen to my explanation- or my apology? Either one…" Jeremy said.

Ignoring Jeremy, and trying to find a reason to hate him, was getting tiring. She didn't want to hate him- in fact, she was beginning to suspect that she loved him. That's what hurt the most- he betrayed her, and she didn't take that well.

"You have one minute to give me a good explanation, Jeremy. Go…" she said looking at her watch.

Jeremy sighed and said; "Look, I know Elena caught me kissing Anna, okay? I'm not going to insult you by lying to you and saying I wasn't. I know that what I did was wrong, but it wasn't a romantic thing."

"You still have thirty seconds," she deadpanned.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and put his hand over hers, lowering it to her side. "Irina, please… Anna wasn't the only ghost there. There was another ghost there who didn't want Anna and me together. I'm not sure who they were, but they didn't want us kissing. That kiss was me trying to get them to leave me the hell alone!" he said.

"You mean to tell me that you felt nothing when you kissed your dead, ex-vampire-girlfriend," she said.

"No, not really," he said.

"Not really?" she asked.

"I did feel something, but it wasn't love or lust or anything. I felt… closure. The kiss turned into me letting her go. She's gone, Irina. I promise. I've let her go," Jeremy said.

Irina looked at him for a short amount of time, trying her best to detect a lie, but there wasn't one there. She sighed and looked at her hands. "Why did it take you so long to do it?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "If I had to guess, I would say it's because I began seeing her when you were gone, and she filled the void. I was missing you so much, that I kept thinking about what happened to my other girlfriends."

She sat and looked at him for a moment. She stared into his brown eyes, and she felt herself melting. She was waging a war within herself. Part of her wanted to keep on giving him the cold shoulder, and cut him out of her life forever, but there was another part that wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him until she was satisfied. She had missed his lips on hers, and she wanted to give in, but she was stubborn.

"So it's my fault for leaving?" she scoffed.

"No," he said, "it's not your fault at all. I just… I wanted to explain why I kissed her. It wasn't to hurt you, or upset you in any way. I do love you- I know I do- but I needed to let Anna go. That was me letting her go. But I am so sorry for hurting you. The pain that was in your eyes… I never want to be the cause of that."

She heard a little voice in the back of her head, telling her that he was sincere in his explanation. It kept telling her that his apology was sincere as well, and that she should forgive him. She wanted to, so badly, but could she? Maybe if they moved slowly it would work better.

"Okay," she said softly.

"What?" he asked.

She smiled at him and said; "Okay, I'll accept your apology."

His smile lit up his entire face, and it made her smile as well. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, really, but I do think we should stay just friends- for now, anyway," she said.

He looked down for a moment, but then said; "Can I still ask you on dates and such?"

She laughed and said; "Sure, but I won't accept for a while."

"Deal," he said with a smile.

"Good. Now let's go cook something, because I'm starving," she said.

She walked to the kitchen and he followed her- the smile never once leaving his face.

.:|

* * *

|:.

An hour after they made up, the girls came back, and found Irina, Jeremy, and the kitchen completely covered in flour. The two of them cooking together was never a good idea. Ever since they were kids this kind of thing happened when they tried doing something productive. Bonnie was giggling at them, while Elena and Caroline just stood in the doorway of the kitchen wearing shocked expressions on their faces.

"What happened?" Elena asked.

"We were cooking… it didn't turn out too well," Irina said.

"I see you've made up," Caroline said.

"Sort of," Jeremy said.

Now it was Caroline's turn to giggle as Elena went to Jeremy and dusted the white stuff out of his hair. It looked hilarious- like a scene from a movie. Bonnie was doing the same with Irina's hair, while Caroline began sweeping and cleaning the counters.

"Caroline, we don't have time for that," Bonnie said. "We'll do it later."

"What are you talking about?" Irina asked.

"Alaric and Damon found something. We need your help," Elena said.

"With what?" Jeremy asked.

Elena sighed and said; "The other night Mason led Damon to a cave under the Lockwood property. He finally got Alaric to take a look in the cave, since Damon hadn't been invited in. There are carvings and pictures on the wall, and we need your help translating them."

"What makes you think I can translate them?" Irina asked.

"They're written in the same language as the words on your necklace," Caroline said.

.:|

* * *

|:.

Alaric led Elena and Irina to the caves underneath the Lockwood property. Since Caroline couldn't enter the caves anyway, she elected to stay behind and help Jeremy clean the kitchen. He didn't want to face the wrath of Jenna, with all her heightened emotions. Bonnie stayed behind and tried using magic to help them clean.

The caves were dark and damp, but they were comforting to Irina. She was more afraid of wide-open spaces than she was of the tight, enclosed walls of the cave. They felt familiar to her somehow, but she didn't know why.

"So the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are underneath their property?" Elena asked.

"I guess not," Ric muttered. "Oh, and be careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light."

Elena and Irina stopped dead in their tracks and looked at each other. "Wait, what?" Irina said.

Someone behind them whispered 'Elena', and when they turned to shine light on the person, they saw Damon. Both of them gasped, and Irina knew her heart was racing. She smacked Damon on the back of the head and entered the cave with Ric. She was actually getting satisfaction from the fact that he couldn't enter.

Elena was right behind her, and when they entered the cave they shone their flashlights onto the wall. There were pictures- carvings made by ancient people- covering the entire wall.

"What is all this?" Elena asked.

"As far as I can tell, it's a story," Ric said.

"Seriously?" Irina asked.

"Yep. In simple archaeological terms, it's a really, really old story," Alaric said.

He aimed his flashlight to a picture that showed three crescent moons- all facing different directions. "That right there, is a moon cycle," he said.

Irina moved her flashlight to a different picture. It looked like a man plus a wolf. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"A man… and a wolf," Alaric responded.

Elena's eyes widened. "A werewolf," Elena breathed.

"Yeah, it's the Lockwood diaries- Pictionary style," Damon quipped.

"But, I thought the Lockwoods came here with the original founders in the 1860's," Elena said.

"Maybe the Lockwoods did, but these drawings have been here a lot longer than that," Alaric replied.

Irina raised an eyebrow, and said; "How long?"

"Long, but it gets better. Show 'em the reason you called in Irina," Damon said.

Alaric led them to another wall of the section they were in. He aimed his flashlight, and Irina stood in shock at what she saw. It was writing- the same writing on her necklace. And what was even stranger was the fact that she could read it. They didn't tell stories, though. They were simply names- but it was the names carved onto the wall that made her heart jump.

"These writings are not native. They're written in runic- a Viking script," Alaric said.

"Vikings?" Elena and Irina asked at the same time.

Irina ran her fingers along one of the carvings. There were many of them, but four of them really made her blood run cold.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed.

"Can you read it?" Alaric asked.

Irina nodded her head, and turned to Alaric and Elena. They noticed the fear in her eyes, and Elena asked; "What is it? What's wrong?"

"These aren't just random words- and it isn't a story. These are names," Irina said.

"What?" Alaric asked.

She pointed to one of the names above her, and said; "If you translate this name, it will say "Niklaus."

Their eyes widened. "Klaus," Elena said.

Irina nodded and turned her attention back to the wall. "Yes, and there is Rebekah… and Elijah," she said, pointing to each one. "These are the names of the Original family."

"Oh my God," Elena breathed.

"Carved into a cave that's been here since way before the founding of Mystic Falls… or the new world, for that matter?" Alaric asked.

"This has got to be another one of Klaus' fakes," Elena said.

"That's what I said," Damon replied.

Irina was ready to believe them, but then her eyes saw another name on the wall. There was no way Klaus would have carved that name with his family's. "I don't think it's a fake," she said as she moved to inspect the name.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"This name," she said as she pointed to it, "reads 'Mikael'."

"Mikael?" Elena asked. "As in… the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?"

Irina nodded and turned back to look at the wall as Damon said; "I like to call him Papa Original."

She gasped as she turned to Elena. "You know who would know all about this?" she asked.

Elena shook her head, and said; "No, who?"

"Rebekah," Irina replied.

* * *

"Eigi leyna augu ef ann kona manni."

[**Eyes can not hide a woman's love for a man.]**

_- The Saga of Gunnlaugur the Worm-tongue, chapter 13_


	22. story time

_Thanks for reading everyone! So, I've been looking through future chapters, and I found one that was mostly deleted. I don't know why it happened, but I can't find the rest of the chapter anywhere, so I'll have to rewrite it. :/ Oh well... It's a few chapters away, though, so don't worry! :D I'll try to work on it this weekend. I might update twice today, or I can wait and give myself more time. Idk yet. Anyway, thank you for the reviews!_

* * *

There's nothing that I'd take back  
But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret  
Cause when I sing, you shout  
I breathe out loud  
You bleed, we crawl like animals  
But when it's over, I'm still awake

- Silhouettes by Of Monsters and Men

* * *

Elena and Alaric looked at her in complete shock, and she would bet her paycheck that Damon was either rolling his eyes or giving her his 'deer-in-the-headlights' look. She just raised her eyebrow, and Alaric began slowly shaking his head.

"It's official- my favorite witch has lost her damn mind," Damon called from his side of the barrier.

Irina and Elena looked at each other in shock, before Elena said; "Your favorite witch?"

"She's less judgy," Damon quipped. "But unfortunately she is now insane."

"I'm not insane. It's a good idea!" she replied.

Elena turned her head to the side, and Irina knew her friend saw the merit in the plan. "Do you really think she'll tell us?"

"I don't know, but Stefan's locked up, so he won't be getting in the middle of things- trying to be protective. Damon knows I can protect you, since I am his favorite witch and all… why not give it a shot?" she said.

"I don't know. I mean, it's still a long shot," Alaric said.

"But we'll never know unless we try," Irina said.

Elena nodded. "I agree. We need to do this," she said.

Irina _knew_ Damon would be rolling his eyes right now, but he'd go along with whatever Elena had planned. Alaric just sighed in defeat and asked; "What do you need from me?"

Irina smiled at her victory and began listing everything they'd need. "Okay, first of all we'll need light- a lot of light. Then, we'll need a very high quality camera with a good flash on it. Do you think you can get those?" she asked.

"The history department might have something, yes," he said.

"Good. Tomorrow morning, we'll meet here for a photoshoot," she said.

"Why?" Elena asked.

Irina sighed and said; "Rebekah's not going to tell us anything without proof, and she can't exactly cross the threshold, so…"

"I get it. Okay, we'll be here tomorrow then," Elena said before she left the cave.

Alaric began following, but stopped when he noticed Irina wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"I'll be there in a minute. I want to see if I can make sense of any more markings. I'll be okay," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive. I have my cellphone… and my magic, so I'll be fine," she said.

Alaric just shrugged and shook his head as he left the cave. Irina turned back to the markings on the wall. It was so strange how familiar this language was to her. She didn't remember ever learning it on purpose, she just _knew_ it. She looked back to the names carved into the stone wall. The letters were beautiful- so different than the Latin alphabet. She ran her fingers along the names.

_Finn… Niklaus… Elijah… Rebekah… Kol… Esther… Mikael_

It was such a large family, and she couldn't imagine having that many siblings. She continued through the names once more, but stopped when she saw one she didn't see before. It was low on the wall, and mostly hidden amongst the paintings. She turned her head to the side, looking at the familiar writing. She tried to remember where she had seen it before, when suddenly it hit her.

She removed her necklace from around her neck, and held it up next to the carving. It was exactly the same. There on the cave wall, in runic Viking script, was her name… _Irina_. She ran her fingers over it, and was suddenly hit with a terrible headache and a wave of nausea. She stumbled backward holding her head, and cried out in pain. She felt blood dripping from her nose as a scene- or was it a memory- flashed before her eyes.

* * *

_Irina was around four or five years old, and she was sneaking into the caves. She wanted to see how her aunt had carved her name. She was wearing a pretty green dress that went to the floor- like a person from medieval times would wear. She found… H? What was he doing in a memory? He was standing there looking at the names on the wall, and smiled when he saw Irina come into the cave. _

"_What are you doing, uncle?" she asked._

_He smiled at her and showed her the blade he snuck in with him. "I'm going to carve my name too," he said._

"_Won't you get in trouble?" she asked. "Grandfather says you're not meant to wield a blade- you are not yet thirteen."_

"_What father doesn't know won't kill him," Henrik said. _

"_Why don't you carve yours next to everyone else's name?" Irina asked._

_He smirked and said; "Because then they would find it, and I would be punished for wielding a blade."_

_Irina smiled at him and said; "Will you let me carve my name too?"_

"_Of course- you can carve it near mine," he said._

_She smiled and watched as he carved his name. Then, she took the blade from him and began the task of carving her own name, which was difficult for a young child. He helped her, and then put the blade in a box, before stashing it in a hole he dug under a rock where nobody could find it. _

"_Did I do well?" Irina asked._

"_It looks perfect Irina," he said as he took her hand and they walked out of the caves._

* * *

She stood from where she had fallen to the floor, and wiped the blood from her nose. It had run all the way down her face and onto her shirt, staining it completely. Where did that memory come from? She was so young. It was definitely before Abby and Grams had found her. She walked back to where her name was carved, and saw the other name that was carved near it. _Henrik_…

She would have to ask Rebekah about it later. Certainly she would be able to tell her. She ran her fingers along both of their names before turning to where he stashed the box in her memory. It was still there, so did that mean the box would still be there. She walked to the rock and lifted it- finding a hole just large enough for the box to fit. The wood had since rotted away, but the blade was still there, and so was a necklace that looked similar to the ones Klaus wore. It had a carved wolf on it, and she assumed it was Henrik's.

She took the blade and the necklace and put them in her bag before leaving the cave and rushing back to her car.

* * *

Alaric had gone to the caves early that morning with a camera, and taken as many pictures as he could. After he printed them off, he scattered them all on the table.

"These images tell a story," he said as Damon practiced vampire fighting with Elena.

"So, if we decipher the images, we can read the story," Irina said as she tried to ignore the obvious flirting going on behind her.

"The ghost of Christmas past- Mason Lockwood- said it would lead us to a weapon that would kill Klaus," Damon said as Elena kicked and punched him.

Irina sighed and turned to them, taking down Damon in ten seconds flat with her magic. He was back up in seconds, rubbing his head, while Elena looked at her with a confused expression.

"Can you both focus, please? We need to figure out this story," she said.

Alaric went to get some sticky notes, and Irina found the pictures of her name and Henrik's, before slipping them into her bag. Damon and Elena were arguing about something, so they didn't notice. Alaric returned and began assigning titles to images.

"So you can't read these?" he asked.

"Nope, sorry. I don't even know how I understand the other language," Irina grumbled.

Elena walked over to look at the pictures. "Maybe your birth parents were Vikings," she teased with a smile.

Irina laughed and said; "Yes, I'm sure that's it," before turning to Damon and asking; "Didn't you say Mikael had a weapon?"

"Yes, which means the wall will probably lead us to Mikael, who we've already found and lost," Damon said as he disarmed Elena who was- once again- getting in target practice.

Alaric was still focused on the images, but said; "These images, at the very least, might tell us what that weapon is."

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean," Elena said.

"Thank you Elena. We couldn't have guessed that," Damon quipped.

Irina ignored him and said; "That leads us straight back to Rebekah. I know you two don't like our plan, but it's all we've got to go on right now."

Irina took some of the images and put them in her bag before leaving the apartment, with Elena following close behind. "After cheerleading practice, we'll talk to her," Irina said.

"Good idea," Elena replied as they descended the stairs.

* * *

Irina had just left cheer practice while the other girls crowded around Rebekah like her groupies. She walked out and found Elena standing by the locker room door.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

Irina checked to make sure she had the images in her bag and said; "Ready."

They walked out to see Rebekah showing off her tumbling skills. She did a perfect flip, and turned to face the two of them when she was done.

"You," she said. "Goody."

"We were hoping we could talk," Elena said.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow and said; "About what- Stefan? Don't worry, I'm off him until he starts treating me better. In fact, you should probably take a page out of my book if I'm being honest."

Irina rolled her eyes and reached into her bag, pulling out the image of Rebekah's name. "Actually, we'd rather talk about this," she said as she held it up.

Rebekah's mean-girl expression faded as Elena said; "We're curious as to why you and Klaus have spent a thousand years running from your _father_."

Rebekah didn't say anything for a moment, and Irina was beginning to think she wasn't going to reply at all. Suddenly, she said; "I should get back to the girls. Homecomings right around the corner," she said.

Irina rolled her eyes. "Well then, maybe we'll ask Mikael when we wake him," Irina said.

Rebekah stopped in her tracks and turned to face them with a smug expression. "You're bluffing. You don't know where he is… no one does," she said.

"So then who's rotting in that old cemetery in Charlotte?" Irina asked.

Rebekah walked to Irina with the expression of a mother scolding her child. "If you wake Mikael we are all doomed," she said.

"So then tell us," Elena said.

"Why do you want to know?" Rebekah asked.

"Why don't you want us to wake him?" Elena asked.

Rebekah stood there, looking between the two of them, before effectively ending the conversation by saying; "I need to get back to the girls."

She walked away and Irina signaled that they should go. Elena nodded and they left the school. Rebekah would talk, but she would need it to be on her own terms.

* * *

Irina and Elena walked up the stairs to Alaric's apartment. Elena was on the phone with Damon, telling him about their meeting with Rebekah. He was worried about it, but Elena was certain Rebekah would come around. They entered Alaric's apartment to find pictures posted _everywhere_.

"Whoa, did you do all of this by yourself?" Irina asked.

"Yep," he said.

"So, have you figured out any of the stories yet?" she asked.

"Nope, but I'm getting there," he replied.

She nodded her head and smiled as Elena hung up her phone. Alaric gave her a pointed look, and she said; "Rebekah will come around."

"You sure about that?" Alaric asked as Irina's phone chimed.

_Come over for a chat- Rebekah._

_How the hell did she get my number_, thought Irina. She ignored that and smirked in satisfaction. It worked.

"I mean, a thousand year old vampire- I'm sure she's learned the art of patience," Ric said.

Irina smiled at him and said; "She's a thousand year old vampire who joined the cheerleading squad. There's a whole other set of rules in play now."

She showed Elena the text, and Elena smiled before walking towards the door. "Keep up the good work, Ric!" she said before they both left to visit Rebekah.

* * *

They both walked into the boarding house and heard music playing. They entered the den area to see Rebekah walking toward them with champagne. "Hey, what's up?" she said.

Irina gave her a smile, but kept a suspicious look in her eye, while Elena just looked confused. "You invited us over, to talk," Elena said.

"All right girls," Rebekah said as she turned. "Have at it."

Six girls walked into the living room, and Rebekah told them to twirl. They did, and turned to face ahead. All the dresses were pretty, but Irina liked the red one the best.

"What do you think?" Rebekah asked.

"You compelled your own private runway show?" Elena asked.

"I need a homecoming dress," Rebekah said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So what do you think? Pick one."

"We're not here to help you shop! We're here to talk about why you don't want us to wake up Mikael," Irina said.

Rebekah gave a smirk, and Irina knew this wasn't going to be good. Rebekah flashed to a girl in a blue dress, before tilting her head and revealing her fangs.

"I said pick one," Rebekah said.

"The red one," the two girls said at the same time.

Rebekah let her features return to normal, and smiled before saying; "There, that wasn't so hard was it?" She turned to the compelled girls and said; "Go away, remember nothing."

Rebekah walked back to the table and picked up her champagne glass. She sauntered over to where the two girls stood. Irina kept a blank look on her face, but Elena was having a difficult time doing so.

"You do not threaten me," Rebekah said. "You will learn what I allow you to learn, is that clear?"

Elena immediately nodded her head, but Irina couldn't help remembering when Elijah had told her the exact same thing. It was interesting, really, how she was able to get information from him after he said that.

"Irina," Rebekah said in a calm voice. "Is that clear?"

Irina smirked and said; "Crystal," before walking to the table and pouring her own drink.

* * *

They followed Rebekah to Stefan's room and watched as she began snooping through his things. Irina rolled her eyes and went to lounge on Stefan's bed. She knew she needed private information from Rebekah, but that would have to wait until Elena left. But, she should probably apologize now if she wanted a chance at the information.

Irina cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," she said.

"What?" Rebekah asked, turning to look at her. Elena looked shocked.

"I haven't been very nice to you- in fact, I've pretty much been a bitch since you started school. I'm sorry. You've had multiple opportunities to get even, and you haven't taken them, so…" she said.

Rebekah looked at her, but what Irina said was actually the truth. She didn't know why, but she did feel kind of bad for being so mean.

"Fine, I accept your apology," Rebekah said.

"You should," Elena quipped as Rebekah made her way to Stefan's dresser. "Her apologies are very rare."

Irina pouted on the bed, and rolled her eyes. "Now that the emotional moment is out of the way, I feel like I should point out that we shouldn't be in here," she said.

"Of course we should. Like you've never wanted to snoop," she said, with the last part meant for Elena. She held up a pair of Stefan's underwear, and Irina smirked. "Boxer briefs- now that's a change from the twenties."

"Are you gonna root through his stuff all night or are you gonna start to tell us your story?" Elena asked.

Rebekah sighed. "You really are no fun," she said. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, Elijah said your father was a wealthy landowner in Europe. How did you end up here?" Elena asked.

"My parents had just started a family when a plague struck their homeland. They lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate," Rebekah explained.

"Yes, but how did you end up here?" Irina asked. "This part of the world hadn't even been discovered yet."

"Not by anyone in your history books. But my mother knew the witch Ayanna, who heard from the spirits of a magical land where everyone was healthy. Blessed by the gifts of speed and strength. That led my family here, where we lived amongst those people," Rebekah said.

"The werewolves?" Irina asked.

"To us they were just our neighbors. My family lived in peace with them for over twenty years, during which time my family had more children- including me," she replied.

"You make it sound so normal," Elena said.

"It was," Rebekah replied. "Once a month, our family retreated to the caves beneath our village. The wolves would howl through the night, and by morning we'd return home. But, that peace was not meant to last forever."

"What do you mean?" Irina asked as she became more enthralled in the story.

"One full moon, Klaus and my youngest brother Henrik snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts. It was forbidden. Henrik paid the ultimate price, and that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbors- and one of the last moments my family had together as humans," Rebekah continued.

Irina didn't know why, but she felt a wave of sadness come over her. It wasn't sadness like when someone tells you about how their parents died, but it's the sadness that comes from experiencing a death yourself. And she said it was her brother Henrik that died… the same Henrik from her memory… the boy who asked to be called 'H' when she dreams of the meadow! They're all the same person, so how did she fit in?

Elena's phone buzzed and Rebekah cleared her throat. "You should probably get that. It'll be Damon checking up on you," she said.

Elena nodded and answered the phone, but Irina was still in her own little world. Rebekah glanced over to her and noticed the odd expression on her face. She looked deep in thought, so Rebekah went to sit near her on the bed.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" she asked, causing Irina to jump slightly.

Irina shook her head and said; "It's nothing, um… so, that's the whole story?" she asked.

"Well, not all of it, but I can't finish until Elena is off the phone," she said before walking back to the window.

* * *

Irina was keeping herself busy braiding and unbraiding pieces of her hair- it was a habit when she was bored. Rebekah wasn't saying anything right now, she was just reading one of Stefan's old journals.

"Did you get your fill of snooping yet? Can we get on with the story?" Elena asked.

Rebekah walked to the table and sat the journal down. She picked up a picture of Stefan and Elena, and said; "Honestly, I don't get you two as a couple."

"Why would you? You don't know anything about who he really is," Elena said.

Rebekah smiled and put on her intimidating face, saying; "I know exactly who he is. He's a vampire- we're a predatory species. We don't have time to care about humans and their silly little lives."

"Is that why you did that runway show earlier? 'Cause you don't care about the homecoming dance?" Irina asked.

Rebekah's smile faded and she stood, crossing her arms. Elena could tell that Irina struck a nerve, so she said; "You know, we're just gonna go."

Irina stood and followed her towards the door, when Rebekah said; "You haven't even heard half of the story yet."

"And you're not going to tell it. You're just bored and looking for someone to push around. Find someone else to play with," Elena said as she turned to leave.

"The necklace wasn't Stefan's to give," Rebekah said, causing Irina and Elena to stop and turn to face her. "It belonged to the Original witch."

"The one who put the hybrid curse on Klaus?" Elena asked.

"Not just the hybrid curse- she's the one who turned us into vampires. My parents were seeking a way to have the spirits protect their children," Rebekah said. She was obviously ecstatic to see their shocked expressions. "I'm thirsty, do you want a drink?" she asked as she walked out of the room.

Irina and Elena caught up with Rebekah. As they were walking down the stairs, Elena asked; "So, vampirism was a form of protection?"

"What else would it be?" Rebekah asked.

"A curse," Irina replied.

Rebekah sighed. "My parents only saw a way of keeping their children alive," she explained.

"Yeah, but why stay? If they were so afraid of the werewolves, why not leave?" Elena asked.

"Pride…" Rebekah began. She spat out the word as if it were a curse. "My father didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they could bite, we had to bite harder. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility, strength, senses… Everything would be heightened. My father said that it was in my mother's hands alone."

"In her hands?" Irina asked as they walked to the den. "How could she do anything?"

"Because my mother was also a witch," Rebekah explained.

"What?" Irina and Elena said at the same time.

"The witch of the Original family… the Original witch," Rebekah said, and Irina could hear the 'duh!' in her voice.

Rebekah stepped into the den as Irina and Elena looked at each other with shocked expressions. The Original Witch was actually part of the Original family…

"Where do they keep their best vintage?" Rebekah asked.

Irina began saying; "But if your mother was a witch, then…"

"Am I? No. Witches are natures servants, a vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other, never both," Rebekah said. "My mother did this for us. She did not turn."

"How did you turn?" Elena asked.

"My mother called upon the sun for life, and the ancient white oak tree- one of nature's eternal objects- for immortality. That night, my father offered us wine laced with blood, and then he drove his sword through our hearts," Rebekah said.

"He killed you?" Elena asked, appalled.

"And he wasn't delicate about it either," Rebekah said as she broke the neck off the bottle in her hands.

Irina felt something dripping down her nose, and another wave of pain and nausea washed over her. She clutched her head and cried out in pain, while Elena rushed to her side. Rebekah walked to her side and looked at her with an odd expression.

* * *

_A man who she assumed to be Mikael filled everyone's glass with wine- a toast in Henrik's memory- and Irina snuck into the room. She was hiding under a table and she watched as Mikael stood to grab his sword._

_She had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming as she saw him raise his sword and stab it through Rebekah's heart. Klaus jumped in front of Mikael to try and stop him, but he received a sword to the heart as well- followed by Elijah, and two others whom she assumed to be Kol and Finn. The tears kept falling, but she made no sound. She watched in terror as he raised his sword and plunged it into his own heart, falling to the ground before her._

* * *

She opened her eyes when the headache receded, and saw Elena and Rebekah standing over her.

"What just happened?" Elena asked.

"I don't know, but it happened in the caves as well. I need to go," she said as she ran for the door.

She needed to speak with Rebekah alone, so she would wait until Elena left to do that. She left the boarding house and ran to her car, before driving herself back to the caves. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she eventually made it. She ran into the caves as quickly as she could, and shone the flashlight on the wall.

She was trying to make sense of what was happening, but she couldn't. Tears were falling down her face because of what she saw. Mikael had run his sword through his children's hearts, and he did it with no remorse. It was like he took pleasure from it. She didn't know why, but it made her feel scared and upset- like she was actually there. But that would be impossible, wouldn't it?

She was beginning to think that waking Mikael was a bad idea. She ran her hand along the wall of carvings. There was one of Rebekah's parents arriving, and she studied it. It was an image of a boat, with people greeting them when they got here. She wondered what it must have been like, to live during that time. She couldn't imagine it.

She studied the pictures for about an hour, when she decided to see if Elena were still at the boarding house. She got in her car and drove back. She would get to the bottom of this, if it was the last thing she ever did.

* * *

She arrived at the boarding house, and Elena's car was gone. She sighed in relief, and grabbed her bag before going inside. She opened the door, but didn't see Rebekah anywhere.

"Rebekah…" she called.

Rebekah was in front of her in a flash, with an annoyed scowl on her face. "Is this part of your plan as well? I will not help you kill my brother," she growled.

Irina shook her head. "No, that's not what I'm here for," she said.

"Then why are you here?" Rebekah asked as she moved to sit on the sofa.

Irina sighed and reached into her bag. She pulled out the blade she got from Henrik's hiding spot, and handed it to Rebekah.

"What the hell is this?" she asked.

"I got a memory when I was in the caves. It was of a boy who carved this name into the wall," Irina replied, handing her the picture. "He had a hiding spot there, where he put that blade."

Rebekah's eyes widened. "This blade has been there for over a thousand years," she breathed. "He carved his name without permission."

"Yes, that's what he said in my memory. But I don't know how I would have been there, since it happened a millennium ago, and the last time I checked I am only seventeen," she said.

Rebekah turned her head to the side and asked; "So, that's what happened. You got your memories back?"

"Only two, so far. I am so confused- will you please help me?" Irina asked.

"Tell me what you've remembered so far," Rebekah said.

Irina nodded. "Okay. The first time I met Elijah, he told me a bit about my mother. I have been dreaming of a woman who claims she's my mother. Then earlier, when we were in the caves, I got a memory about when Henrik carved his name… and mine," she said, grabbing the picture of her name from her bag.

"He carved both of your names," Rebekah said.

"Yes. Then, when you were telling us your story, I saw your father stabbing you. It was like I was there, but there is no way that could be possible… right?" Irina said.

Rebekah smiled. "You're a witch, who's sitting here speaking to a vampire. You're best friends with at least two vampires, a doppelgänger, and a werewolf who has been turned into a hybrid- and you're someone who believes things to be impossible?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm certainly not a thousand years old, and I'm not a vampire, so what other explanation is there?" Irina asked.

Rebekah sighed. "I told you before, I can't tell you until you get your memories back," she said.

"Who says?" Irina shouted.

"The Original witch," Rebekah replied.


	23. desperate times

_Update #2 today! Yay! Things are gonna get heated! (Maybe... maybe not. Who knows.)_

* * *

In the morning I'll be with you  
But it will be a different kind  
I'll be holding all the tickets  
And you'll be owning all the fines

- Skinny Love by Bon Iver

* * *

Irina sat in silence for a moment. The Original witch told them that they couldn't tell her anything about her past? Why would she do that? It didn't make sense.

"Where is the Original witch?" Irina asked softly.

"Weren't you listening earlier?" Rebekah asked. "She's dead!"

"I don't think I was here for that part," she said. "If she isn't here, then you can tell me. It's not like she's going to punish you."

"It wouldn't matter anyway; you wouldn't believe the story if I told you," Rebekah said.

Irina sighed. "Okay, let's compromise. Tell me whatever you can about my family. Leave out any parts that you shouldn't tell me right now," she said.

Rebekah studied her for a moment. She seemed to be thinking about it as she stood to grab two glasses, and Damon's liquor of choice. She came back to her seat on the sofa across from where Irina sat. She handed one glass to her and poured the amber liquid inside, before doing the same for herself. Irina took a sip, and winced at the strong flavor.

"Trust me, you're going to need that," she said.

"So you're going to tell me?" Irina asked.

Rebekah sighed. "I will tell you what I can, so listen well." Rebekah got comfortable in her seat and began her story. "In our village, there was a young lady named Aoife. Her parents were very close friends with ours. She was a bit promiscuous, but nothing too severe. She became my best friend, and I thought of her as a sister. One day, her parents died in a tragic circumstance, and she came to live with us. My father married her to someone in the village, and within the year she was pregnant… with you."

"Who was my father?" Irina asked.

"No, I cannot tell you that. I must put my foot down when it comes to that, however there is more to the story," Rebekah said. "You became like family as well, and I loved you as part of my family. You learned magic from my mother, and the witch Ayanna- you were marvelous! They said you were very advanced for such a young age. When you were around three, your mother fell ill. It was a sickness that had been spread throughout the village, and she couldn't be saved."

"So my mother really is dead?" Irina said.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Rebekah replied. "But, you knew that, didn't you?"

Irina nodded. "I think I did, but I didn't want to believe it," she said.

Rebekah looked at her with sadness in her eyes before finishing her story. "We helped to raise you when we could, and we continued your lessons in magic. When Henrik died, our mother wanted to protect you too. However, she couldn't turn you because you were too young. You would also lose your magic. So, she sent you to the future," Rebekah said.

"She sent me to the future? Why?" Irina asked.

"Because she thought you'd be protected. We were told that we could find you in the future by your necklace," Rebekah said. "We all searched for a long while, but we didn't find anything… until now."

"That's why everyone's always so interested in my necklace," Irina breathed.

"Yes. You must not tell anyone what I have told you until your memories return," Rebekah said.

"Why?" Irina asked.

"Because, you are not supposed to know," Rebekah replied. "I could get in serious trouble. Please, do not tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay, I won't. I promise," Irina said.

* * *

Rebekah continued telling her stories from her human days, and Irina felt like they were somewhat familiar. It was like she wanted to remember them, but something was blocking her memories. The door to the boarding house opened and Elena walked in, with a confused look at Irina.

"I thought I told you to leave… twice," Rebekah said.

"How do you know that Mikael killed your mother?" Elena asked.

"Nik was there," Rebekah replied. "He told me."

Elena sighed. "He lied to you," Elena said.

Irina stood and walked to where Elena stood. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Elena handed her the picture, with the symbol for witch and hybrid. It was the story of the Original witch's death, but it wasn't by Mikael's hands. It was by the Original hybrid's- Klaus killed their mother. Irina's eyes widened.

Elena walked over to where Rebekah stood with a suspicious look on her face. "The cave where you carved your family's names is covered in symbols. The story of your family; how your parents' arrived, how they made peace, the spell that turned them into vampires, and this. This is the symbol for hybrid," Elena said, laying down the images in order.

"It's the combination of both the werewolf, and vampire symbol," Irina realized.

Elena nodded. "And this is the one for your mother," she told Rebekah.

"Her necklace," Rebekah whispered.

"And this is the story of her death," Elena said, hesitantly laying down the last image. "The hybrid killed the Original witch. Not Mikael, Klaus."

"No," Rebekah denied, "No, he wouldn't."

Irina didn't know what to say, so she just stood back and let Elena explain what she had found.

"She put the curse on him, made it so he'd be the only one of his kind, and then she rejected him. With the werewolf gene comes aggression and violence- when he turned all that was heightened. He killed her, Rebekah- then he made up this entire lie about your father so that he wouldn't lose you!" Elena said.

"These mean nothing!" Rebekah exclaimed as she gathered the images. "They're just stupid drawings done by stupid people who had no idea who my family was!"

Irina watched in shock as she threw the images into the fire. "Then why are you so upset about this?" she asked.

"Why are you doing this to me? I've done nothing to you!" Rebekah shouted.

"Klaus killed your mother," Elena began. "He has a hold on you, on me, on everyone. He has for a thousand years- we have to make it stop!"

Irina jumped out of the way as Rebekah sped over and pinned Elena against the wall. "Shut up! Don't talk anymore!" she shouted.

"Rebekah!" Irina said. She was about to make Rebekah let go of Elena when she saw her vampire features receding. She knew it was sinking in, and Rebekah was realizing that Elena was right. She let Elena go and took a step back.

Rebekah's face crumbled in agony, and she sank to her knees. She was beginning to sob, and Irina felt bad for her. Even Rebekah- who had a thousand years to be mean and wreak havoc- didn't deserve this pain and heartbreak.

"Elena, you should go," Irina said softly.

Elena nodded and left the boarding house. Irina waited until she heard Elena's car leave before lowering herself to the floor beside Rebekah and wrapping her in a hug. She didn't particularly like Rebekah, but she figured that if someone had just told her this Earth-shattering news, she would need a hug too. Rebekah returned the hug wholeheartedly, and Irina was happy to be her literal 'shoulder-to-cry-on'.

* * *

The next morning, the Salvatores arrived back at the boarding house with Mikael- of all people. When Irina and Elena arrived, Damon explained the plan to them. They would make up the story of Mikael's run-in with the dagger, and lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Irina asked.

"Yes!" Damon exclaimed.

"Well then, we'll need a story," Elena said.

Stefan nodded and gestured for them to follow. He led them to the den area, and said; "Okay, so we'll say Mikael followed Elena in here, and tried to grab her, to use her as bait."

"And then what? You vervained him?" Irina asked.

"No, we vervained him. The guy's an Original- let's make it realistic," Damon said.

"Okay fine," Stefan said. "We vervained him, and in the process we discovered that he had a dagger."

"Which he planned to use on Rebekah, but instead we drove it through his heart," Elena added.

Irina scoffed. "And what happens when he asks to see Mikael's body?" she asked.

"Good point," Damon said. "You, my brother, have been compelled to do whatever Klaus says. So if the idea is to lure him back here and kill him, the last thing we need is you getting tripped up and tongue tied."

"Well don't look at me. I'm just in charge of getting him back here," Stefan replied.

"Klaus is smart. If we tell him that Mikael's dead, he'll want proof," Elena said.

"Then I shall be dead," Mikael said as he walked into the room. He had been eyeing Irina all day as if he knew her- which she supposed he did, if what Rebekah said was true- but it still gave her the creeps.

"What if he wants to see you in person?" Irina asked as she swallowed her fear and walked to him.

Mikael smirked. "Then that means our plan is working," he replied. "Klaus will absolutely want to see my body. You lure him here, and I will kill him."

"With what? Those daggers won't work on him," Stefan said.

"Well, I'm in possession of a stake, fashioned from the wood of the ancient white-oak tree. The one that left these ashes when it burned," Mikael said.

"Where is it?" Damon asked, causing Irina to roll her eyes and give him a look that said _seriously?_

"Not here," Mikael replied. "Knowing its location is my insurance policy."

"Against what?" Stefan asked.

"You leaving this in my heart," Mikael answered. "You see, a vampire cannot dagger an Original without dying, so it falls to you."

He handed the stake to Irina, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "You want me to dagger you?" she asked.

"Klaus will leave nothing to chance- especially when it comes to trust," Mikael stated.

They moved to stand in front of the fireplace, and Irina positioned the dagger over his heart. She took a breath to steady herself, and shoved the dagger into his chest as hard as she could. The noise it made was sickening, and she felt like she wanted to vomit. Mikael fell to the floor, with his skin greying as he did. She didn't know why, but it made her feel a bit better that she had done that.

She went to stand by Rebekah as Stefan called Klaus to lure him to Mystic Falls. The blonde Original had on her mask of indifference, but Irina knew she was on their side now. She loved her mother dearly, and she felt betrayed by Klaus. She spoke to him, and he ensured her that he would be home soon.

"He bought it. He's coming home," Rebekah said before walking out of the room.

"Now was that easy or what?" Damon quipped.

"Let's just get this over with," Elena said as she bent down to remove the dagger from Mikael's chest.

* * *

"We can't trust Rebekah not to turn on us," Damon said as he was mixing the Wolfsbane water.

"Why do you say that?" Irina asked.

Damon scoffed. "Klaus is her _brother_," he replied.

"Yeah, the same brother who just so happened to kill her mother!" Elena replied.

"Still, it might help things if she had an unfortunate run-in with a dagger," Damon said in a sing-song voice.

Irina rolled her eyes. "Seriously Damon?"

He just shrugged and continued with his weapon assembly. Irina felt the dagger weighing heavily in her back pocket. She was thinking of a plan, and pulled Elena to the side. She took a piece of paper and a pen from the table.

_I have a backup plan._

Elena nodded, and signaled for her to continue.

_Damon's right. She can't be trusted._

Elena furrowed her brows and shook her head, signaling that she didn't understand.

_We need to dagger Rebekah._

Elena's eyes widened and Irina waited for her response. "Okay," she whispered. Irina nodded and let the paper catch fire in her hand.

"What's okay?" Stefan asked as he walked into the room.

"I told Elena that we are going to be positive tonight, and everything is going to go smoothly," Irina lied.

Stefan just shook his head and left the room. Irina was missing the old Stefan so much, and right now she would do anything to get him back. She had always wanted an older brother, and he had filled that void, but now he was an incredible douche.

* * *

Elena and Irina made their way to Rebekah's room. Irina was getting nervous about what she had to do, and she didn't want the chance to second guess herself. When they arrived, they saw Rebekah dressed and ready to go.

"Getting a head start, huh?" Elena asked.

Rebekah turned with a sheepish expression. "Embarrassing truth? This is my first high school dance," she admitted.

"Ever?" Irina asked.

She nodded and turned back to the mirror. "I never really had time for high school before. Nik and I were always moving around- running. Anyway, I didn't want to leave anything to chance," she said. "Have you heard any more from him?"

"No, but I'm sure when he does return he'll do it with flair," Irina replied.

"And Damon and my father are all set with their plan?" she asked.

"Yes," Elena answered.

She nodded and said; "Don't tell me. I don't want to know. I just want to go to the dance and leave the rest to Mikael."

"I know it's really hard, but thank you for helping us get Klaus back into town," Elena said.

"Just be careful. Nik and I spent a thousand years running for a reason. Mikael is not a good person, and he definitely cannot be trusted… no one in my family can," Rebekah warned.

"Are you okay?" Irina asked.

"I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure. I never thought that I'd be the one to help drive a stake through his heart," Rebekah admitted.

Irina was feeling bad about her plan. Rebekah was willing to help them kill the brother who she was closest with. But, Elena was right- Klaus killed her mother, and Rebekah would want revenge. She wouldn't turn on them. She couldn't do it. Irina couldn't stab her with the stake- not Rebekah. That would just be kicking her when she's down- it wouldn't be right.

"How do I look?" Rebekah asked, trying to push away her thoughts.

"You look amazing," Elena said. "But you're missing one thing."

Rebekah turned with a confused expression, until she saw what Elena was holding out. It was the necklace Stefan had given her. It had originally belonged to Rebekah, and now she was giving it back.

"My mother's necklace," Rebekah said.

"You should wear it tonight," Irina said. "May I?"

Rebekah nodded, and Irina took the necklace from Elena. She fastened it on Rebekah, and stood back. That was her one chance to dagger Rebekah, and now it was gone. There would be no more chances. Irina noticed Elena's confused expression, and shook her head.

"There… it's perfect," Irina said. "Now, I am going to take a page out of your book and go get ready for the dance."

* * *

Elena followed Irina to her house, and thankfully waited until they were inside to begin her questioning.

"What the hell was that?" Elena asked.

"I'm sorry, Elena, but I couldn't do it!" Irina answered.

"What do you mean you couldn't do it? This whole thing was your idea!" Elena said.

"I will find another way to make sure Rebekah doesn't interfere, but I can't stab someone in the back, Elena. Especially not after what she said, and she doesn't even know the plan!" Irina said.

"She is a liability, and you know it," Elena said.

"Yes, I do, which is why I'm going to find another way to make sure she stays away. But I can't stop her from going to her first high school dance, Elena. Please, just go with me on this one," Irina begged.

Elena sighed. "Fine, what's your new plan?' she asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but I know it involves a spell. Give me a minute," Irina said as she got ready for the dance.

After taking her time in the shower, and slowly blow-drying and curling her hair, she finally thought of a plan. There was a way for a witch to get inside someone's mind- sort of like compulsion- and make them do what you want. It would only work for a little while, and then it would wear off, but it should buy them enough time for Rebekah to have fun at the dance and not interfere with their plan. She put on her dress and Elena helped her with her makeup.

"So, have you thought of anything yet?" Elena asked.

"I think so, but I need to keep it to myself," she replied.

"Are you sure?" Elena asked.

"Yes, now let's go back to the boarding house. We need to talk with Damon about a back up plan," Irina said.

* * *

"Do you two trust Mikael?" Elena asked as they entered Damon's room. Irina was mixing a potion of sorts that would help with her persuasion spell.

"Nope," Damon said as Irina shook her head.

"I don't trust him as far as I can throw him," she added.

"What about Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Nope," they both answered, and Damon added; "Not as long as he's under Klaus' control."

"We need a better plan than Wolfsbane grenades and Mikael," Irina said.

"Oh I know what to do," Damon said. "You're just not going to like it."

"Why won't I like it?" Elena asked.

"Because when this all goes down, I don't want you having any part of it," Damon told her.

Irina was still mixing the ingredients together. "_Commisce mentis da mihi tempero_," she chanted until it began to bubble. When it stopped bubbling she was left with an odorless, tasteless, and undetectable liquid.

"What is that?" Damon asked.

"Never you mind, Damon. Get on with your little plan, and I will continue with mine," she said.

Damon sighed. "Irina, I don't like not knowing things," he said.

"Fine, let's compromise. I will keep this a secret from you, and you will keep your 'protect-Elena' plan a secret from me. Call it even," she said.

Before he could answer, she left the room. This spell would require Rebekah and Irina to both drink the liquid. Then, Irina would have to look into Rebekah's eyes and tell her what to do- just like compulsion. It would work… it had to.

Rebekah was still in the room, looking at herself in the mirror. She wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, so she'd probably stay there until her date came to pick her up. Irina found a bottle of Damon and Stefan's best vintage downstairs and poured them both a glass. She slipped the liquid into their drinks, and carried them upstairs.

She opened Rebekah's door, and saw the blonde Original redoing her makeup. "Hi Rebekah," Irina said.

"Irina, hi! You look great," she replied.

"Thanks! I thought that, in celebration of your first high school dance, we would drink a toast," Irina said.

Rebekah chuckled and said; "I think that sounds like a smashing idea."

"To high school dances!" Irina said.

"To new experiences," Rebekah replied.

They both drank the entire glass, and Irina looked Rebekah in the eyes. Rebekah stared at her like a deer caught in headlights, and Irina hoped this worked.

"Rebekah," she said, and noticed her voice had a different sound to it. It sounded smoother and more… compelling.

"Yes?" Rebekah asked.

"You cannot tell Klaus about our plans tonight," Irina said.

"I cannot tell Klaus about your plans tonight," Rebekah replied in her dreamlike tone.

Irina nodded, but kept her eyes on Rebekah's. "You cannot interfere with our plans in any way," she said.

"I cannot interfere with your plans in any way," Rebekah said.

"You will go to the dance and have fun with your date, and it will be a wonderful night," Irina said.

Rebekah's reply was the same as the order. "I will go to the dance and have fun with my date. It will be a wonderful night!" she said.

Irina smiled and blinked, releasing Rebekah from the persuasion. Rebekah got a strange look on her face, but didn't say anything.

"So, are you excited for the dance?" Irina asked.

"I'm so excited. It will be a wonderful night!" Rebekah said.

"Yes, it will. Um, before I leave, I wanted to give you something," Irina said.

Rebekah turned to her, and tensed when she saw her pull the dagger from her bag. "What are you doing?" Rebekah asked.

"I think you should have this," Irina said. "It would probably be a lot safer with you."

Rebekah took the dagger from Irina and looked at it. She shook her head as she looked at it, and handed it back to Irina. "No," she said. "You need to keep it. It might come in handy if Mikael tries to betray you, which he no doubt will."

Irina looked in shock as Rebekah placed the dagger back into her bag, and left the room. Was she so certain that Mikael would try to betray them? Irina had always had a bad feeling about him, ever since she got that memory, but they all had the same goal. Irina sighed and followed Rebekah down the stairs, where Matt was waiting to take her to the dance.

* * *

Apparently the gym had flooded, and they were now having the party at Tyler's house. Rebekah couldn't enter the actual house, so she and Matt walked around to the back where the band was. Elena and Irina walked into the party and looked around.

"So much for homecoming," Elena said.

"Yeah," Irina laughed. "This is… so weird."

"There's Caroline. She doesn't know anything, so act normal," Elena said.

"I know, I know," Irina said.

"Hey, Klaus is here!" Caroline said.

"What?" Irina asked.

"Yeah. Apparently our little sired-friend Tyler thought it'd be okay to let his master throw a party," Caroline said.

Irina and Elena just shared a look and Caroline looked surprised. "Well, I thought there'd be more surprise," she said.

"I've learned not to be surprised by anything Klaus does," Elena said.

Irina nodded. "She's right. Besides, we should go find Bonnie," she said, and Elena followed her to the back yard.

* * *

Irina and Elena stayed close to one another all night, and the party was seriously beginning to take a toll on Irina's nerves. The two of them were standing and watching the band below, when Klaus walked up to them. Elena tensed, and Irina thought it was odd. Yeah, she had never liked the Original hybrid, but she had never shown it like that before.

"Where's your date," Klaus asked.

"Irina is my date," Elena replied, to which Irina scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You mean to tell me you both came alone?" Klaus asked, acting like he was shocked.

Irina rolled her eyes. "Well, technically we both came with Stefan, but we aren't his biggest fans right now. Thanks for that, by the way," Irina said.

"Oh, come on now love. It's not my fault," he replied.

Irina scoffed. "The hell it isn't!" she said.

Klaus' expression darkened. "You should watch your tone darling," he said.

Irina rolled her eyes and he turned his attention to Elena. "It seems I have you to thank for Mikael's demise," he said.

"He came at me," Elena said. "I didn't have a choice."

"Still, I'm impressed. It's not easy for a human to dagger an Original," Klaus replied.

While Irina was focused on keeping her heartbeat regular, Elena seemed to breeze by with no problem. "It wasn't the first time," she said.

"Right… Elijah," Klaus said before turning to look at the stage. Elena and Irina shared a look, but composed themselves before he turned to look at them again. "You seem nervous," he said.

"We're not nervous, we just don't like you," Irina said.

"Well, I'll get straight to the point then, shall I loves?" Klaus said. "People have been after me for a thousand years, and I am always one step ahead. So whatever it is you're thinking of trying, go for it. Give it your best shot. You won't succeed."

"It won't be for lack of trying," Elena said before turning to leave.

Klaus blocked her way and said; "Now you'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight, because if I die, I've already insured he'll die along with me. Even in death my hybrids have their orders. So, if you kill me, you're killing him too."

Klaus walked away leaving two very confused girls in his wake. Elena pulled Irina to the upstairs bathroom and locked the door.

"What are we going to do?" Irina asked.

Elena was pacing back and forth. "Well we can't let them kill Klaus- not if Damon's going to die," she said.

Irina sighed. "We need Stefan," she said.

"Where is he?" Elena asked.

"At the boarding house, apparently. Damon texted me and said he had a run in with Mikael," Irina answered.

Elena sighed and said; "Okay, you go party and I'll go get Stefan."

"By yourself? Elena, you are completely vulnerable by yourself," Irina said.

Elena smirked. "It's a good thing I'm not Elena then," she said before leaving to go get Stefan.

Irina stood there with a shocked expression. She left the bathroom and walked downstairs, but before she could get outside someone pulled her to the side and put a hand over her mouth. She struggled to get free, but it was no use.


	24. oh death

_- Okay everyone, I hope you like the chapter! The next one might take a while to upload, because I have to rewrite it. _

* * *

Abraham took Isaac's hand and led him to the lonesome hill.  
While his daughter hid and watched,  
She dare not breathe, she was so still.  
Just as an angel cried for the slaughter,  
Abraham's daughter raised her voice.

- Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire

* * *

When Irina was pulled by the front door of the house, she knew what was going on. Mikael had compelled the hybrids, and they took her and Katherine. The hybrid that had her had a hand covering her mouth, so she couldn't say anything. How had everything gotten so turned around? Earlier, they had a mission to come and kill Klaus, and now she was trying to save him. Rebekah was completely right- Mikael had turned on them. How had this happened!?

"Hello Niklaus," Mikael said. Irina couldn't see Klaus, but she could only imagine the expression on his face.

"Hello Mikael- won't you come in? Oh, that's right, I forgot. You can't," Klaus replied. Irina rolled her eyes. Was he seriously being childish right now?

"Or you could come outside if you want," Mikael said, continuing their little banter.

"Or I could watch my hybrids tear you limb-from-limb," Klaus said- he was definitely winning their banter so far.

"They can't kill me," Mikael gloated.

"True," Klaus replied. "But it'll make one hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together, and they'll pounce."

"The big bad wolf," Mikael taunted. "You haven't changed- still hiding behind your playthings like a coward." Irina sighed and glared at Mikael. He didn't need the excessive taunting- he was just being mean. Then again, he's an Original, so that shouldn't be surprising.

"You forget," Mikael continued. "They may be sired by you, but they are still part vampire- they can be compelled by me."

The dark-skinned hybrid walked into view and stood beside Mikael. Then, she pulled Katherine- who everyone else still thought was Elena- into view. Irina desperately wanted to use her magic on everyone, but she didn't have that much energy left after the persuasion spell she used on Rebekah earlier.

"Come out and face me, Niklaus- or she dies," Mikael said, and Irina's eyes widened.

"Go ahead. Kill her," Klaus replied.

Katherine was playing the part of Elena well- she actually looked scared. "No, Klaus… he'll do it," she said.

"If she dies," Mikael began, "this lot will be the last of your _abominations_."

"I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you," Klaus said.

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever with no one at your side?" Mikael asked.

Klaus scoffed. "I have someone who will be at my side, once her memories return to her," he said.

Irina was shoved into view, and Mikael held her with his other hand- his grip was threatening to break her arm. She noticed how Klaus' eyes widened and he looked at Mikael with an expression of such betrayal.

"Let's up the stakes then, Niklaus. What happens when this one dies as well?" Mikael asked.

Irina looked to him in shock, and then looked back to Klaus. She knew her face was pleading, but she didn't care. She began to struggle, trying to get away, but it just hurt her arm more.

"You're hurting my arm," she growled.

Mikael ignored her and kept his attention on Klaus. "Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you've forced?" he asked.

Irina saw the hurt expression on Klaus' face, and she honestly felt bad for him. Yeah, he had done some terrible things, but look at his role model. Irina had already had just about enough of this. Irina saw the tears forming in Klaus' eyes, and it shocked her to know that he could actually cry. This is what it took to make him feel, and she could tell he didn't like appearing weak.

"I'm calling your bluff, father. Kill her," Klaus said, leaving Irina to wonder which _her_ he was talking about. Since he kind of needed Elena, she could only assume he didn't mean her.

"Come outside and face me, you little coward, and I won't have to," Mikael replied.

"My whole life you've underestimated me," Klaus said. "If you kill her you lose your leverage. So go on, kill her. Come on old man, kill her. Kill her!"

Irina was certain that the fear was evident in her eyes, and she felt the tears prickling on her lashes. Klaus really didn't care- as long as nobody had leverage against him.

Mikael chuckled, and it struck fear into Irina- it was such an unpleasant sound. "Ah, your impulse, Niklaus. It has, and always will be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great," he said.

Mikael stabbed Katherine with a dagger, and let her fall to the ground. This is it- she was next. She couldn't go down without a fight, but before she could say anything to help her situation, Damon came flashing in front of Klaus and stabbed him with the white oak stake. How the hell did he get it? Klaus cried out, and Damon was ready to go in for the kill.

Katherine stood back up from where she was playing dead, and prepared the wolfsbane grenades. Irina took advantage of Mikael's shocked stake and ran inside the safety of the house. She ran to stop Damon, but she didn't have to. Stefan was there and knocked him out of the way, causing him to drop the stake in the process. She saw her opportunity and took it.

She ran to where Klaus was laying and picked up the stake. She noticed the fear and anger in his eyes- he thought she was going to finish him off, but she had something else in mind. She used the last of her magical energy to pin Mikael to the wall as she walked toward him.

"Irina, do not kill me. I also have leverage over you," he said.

"Oh really? And what is that?" she asked.

"I know your past- I was there. I can tell you what you want to know," Mikael said.

Irina chuckled. "Here's the thing, Mikael- Rebekah already told me. Your leverage is null and void," she said before aiming the stake and driving it through his heart.

She released him from her magic, and he dropped to the ground. The stake caught fire and she jumped back so her dress wouldn't go up in flames. She had just killed someone. Yes, he was a vampire. Yes, he had attempted to kill her, but the fact remained that she just killed someone. She had broken the number one rule she had set for herself.

Her eyes were wide as she took in his burning body, and the smell was making her sick. She had to get out of there. She would pass out right there if she didn't. The only thing that stopped her was when she heard Damon say something.

"What the hell did you do?" Damon asked Stefan.

Klaus walked to where Stefan was and said; "He's earned his freedom."

Irina watched as Klaus released Stefan from his compulsion, and she expected to see a difference in him straight away, but she wasn't seeing anything. He hadn't turned his emotions back on yet- what was he waiting for? She watched as Damon flashed away, soon to be followed by a now-free Stefan.

When they were truly alone, Klaus turned to Irina, who still couldn't keep her eyes off the burning body before her. It was slowly turning into a pile of ash, and it was beginning to gross her out. She was doing everything she could to keep her eyes off of Klaus, but it wasn't working.

* * *

Klaus turned to face Irina- his beautiful daughter. She was still so innocent, and that was evident in how distraught she looked by the death of Mikael. Did she not know how much pain Mikael had caused their family? He saw a lone tear slip down her cheek, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. She almost jumped out of her skin, and he removed his hand from her shoulder.

"I killed him," she whispered.

Klaus nodded and said- in the same low tone; "He deserved it."

She shook her head. "I wanted to kill him… and I don't know why," she said through her tears.

Klaus thought it best to continue this conversation in private, so he pulled her into a sitting room. She didn't put up any sort of fight- she just didn't have it in her. She simply followed him in silence with a dead look on her face. He closed the doors behind them, and turned to face her, and he saw her rifling through a cabinet for a bottle of vintage- not as good as what he had, but it was old enough.

"How did you know that was there?" he asked.

Her facial expression didn't change, and there was no humorless laugh- as he had come accustomed to when she was with him and Stefan on the road that summer. She simply said; "I hooked up with Tyler once, and I definitely needed to be drunk for that. I remember where his parents stored their liquor."

Klaus felt like killing his first successful hybrid. He had 'hooked up' with his daughter. "Tyler hooked up with you?" he asked.

"It was my idea in the first place. I was bored and needed something to do… Did you come in here just to ask me about my sex life?" she asked with a bored tone.

"No, I came to ask if it were true; did Rebekah tell you everything about your lost memories?" Klaus asked.

Irina sighed. "No, but she told me enough," Irina said.

"What exactly did she tell you?" he asked.

"That I was born a thousand years ago and sent to the future. I was reluctant to believe her, but since every family member of yours that I've met seems to know me, I figured she was telling the truth," she answered.

Klaus raised his eyebrow and nodded. He left her to finish her drink, and gather her thoughts. He noticed her bag sitting by the door, and he went to get it for her before someone else took it. He picked it up, but the flap fell open and something dropped out- it was an ash-covered dagger. He knew exactly where this would be going. There was a little sister who had done the one thing she had promised never to do- she had betrayed him.

* * *

Klaus walked around the back yard of the Lockwood estate as everyone began leaving. There were very few people left here, and he noticed Rebekah's date leaving her to go get a drink, and that's when he made his move. He flashed over and grabbed hold of Rebekah, placing his hand over her mouth as he did. She was strong, and she was almost able to wrestle out of his grip, but she wasn't that strong.

He had flashed her into the woods, and turned her around to face him. He noticed how her eyes widened due to fright, and he was glad that she was smart enough to know when to fear him. He sighed, and he stayed silent when she began to speak.

"Niklaus," she began.

"Rebekah," he said.

Her face turned angry, and she began struggling against him. "Let me go, Niklaus. You killed our mother," she said.

"Yes, I did. I had to, and I'd do it again," he said. "You betrayed me, Rebekah."

She was about to say something, but her words were cut off when he plunged the dagger into her heart. It only took about a minute, but her skin was completely grey, and he picked her up and carried her to her coffin.

* * *

Irina was in her bedroom, sitting on the chair by her window. She kept dozing off, but she had to stay awake. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw Mikael and his face when she drove the stake into his heart. She kept texting Rebekah, but she wasn't getting any response. She had spoken to Elena, and her friend was pretty supportive, once she learned that Mikael planned to turn on them. It turns out Damon was right about using Katherine instead of Elena.

Irina sighed and stood from the chair- this was ridiculous. She had work tomorrow, and she needed her sleep. She walked to her bed and pulled back the covers to find a small box. She opened it to find a rolled up piece of paper. She unrolled it and saw a beautiful drawing of her as a child, with the image of her mother. They were smiling, and they looked so happy. She smiled at the drawing and rolled it back up to put in the drawer by her bed.

She laid her head on the pillow, and drifted off to sleep as best she could. How was nobody upset at her? She had killed someone, and they were acting like it was no big deal. Stefan and Damon wouldn't think so, because they've killed people before. It was nothing to them. Elena had accepted it as something that had to be done, because Mikael would have never completely been on their side. Caroline really didn't have an opinion, but offered an ear to talk to if Irina needed it. Then there was Bonnie- the most shocking of all. She said she was glad Mikael was dead, and when asked why, she said that he tried to kill her sister and best friend.

Irina's mind wouldn't shut up, and she knew what she needed. She threw the covers off of her, and ran to get her coat. It was cold out, and she was only wearing shorts and her tank top, but she didn't care. She ran to her car and drove until she reached the house she was headed to. She had her own key, just in case of an emergency- this was definitely an emergency. She ran to the front porch and quietly opened the door, even though it didn't matter- nobody was here. Elena was staying at the boarding house just in case Klaus tried anything tonight, and Jenna was at Ric's place.

Irina walked up to Jeremy's room and knocked on his bedroom door. She heard him get out of bed and shuffle to the door, only to be surprised when he opened it.

"Irina, what are you doing here?" he asked.

She felt like crying because of her thoughts, but she kept her voice steady as best as she could. "I don't know," she said.

Jeremy nodded and just pulled her into a hug. He knew that Irina wasn't one for many words when she was upset, so he just held her and let her have a shoulder to cry on. Eventually, she fell asleep after he moved to sit them on his bed, but she never let go of him. He moved slightly to get more comfortable, and fell asleep with his arms around her.

* * *

Irina woke up to see Jeremy sleeping beside her. She still felt terrible about killing Mikael, but she couldn't let that run her life. She slipped out of Jeremy's bed, causing him to stir and wake up.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied.

"Well, good morning," said a voice from the door. They turned to see Jenna leaning against the doorframe, smirking.

"Oh my gosh," Irina said, burying her head in her hands. This was not how she wanted her morning to go.

"You know, I wouldn't have left you alone if I would have known Irina was coming over," Jenna said, with amusement in her voice.

"We didn't do anything," Jeremy defended.

"I know," Jenna said. "So why was Irina here… if you weren't doing anything?"

"I don't know, honestly. I just wanted to feel better, and Jeremy always makes me feel better- even when I don't deserve it," Irina answered.

Jenna sighed and gave Irina a sad smile, before leaving. Irina sighed and said; "Thank you, Jeremy."

He smiled at her. "It was no problem," he said.

"I should… probably go," she said awkwardly.

"If you need to…" he said casually.

She smiled and left the room before checking her phone. Bonnie had called her like, five times. Her heart rate picked up at the thought of another danger, and she called her sister. Bonnie answered after the third ring.

_Hello?_

"Bonnie, is everything okay? You called me like, a million times," Irina said as she got into her car.

_Where are you? I woke up and your car was gone!_

"I went to Jeremy's, but I'm on my way home now," Irina replied.

_Is everything okay?_

"Yeah," Irina sighed. "Everything is fine. I'll be home in a minute. Is everything okay with you?" she asked, hearing the tone of Bonnie's voice.

_I just need to talk to you when you get here._

"Okay, I'll be there soon. Bye Bon," she said.

_Bye, Rina._

* * *

Irina arrived home to see Bonnie pacing in the living room. She walked to the couch and sat down.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" she asked.

Bonnie sighed and sat down, before saying; "It's a dream I've been having."

"Okay, what happens in the dream?" she asked in a diplomatic tone.

Bonnie let out a breath to steady herself, and said; "Well, I go into the abandoned witches' house, and there are five coffins- one apart from the rest. I go to it, and open it, and inside is Klaus."

Irina's eyes widened- Klaus in a coffin? What were the spirits trying to tell Bonnie? She thought it over for a moment, and then asked; "Is there anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," Bonnie said, before her eyes snapped up. "He was holding Rebekah's necklace."

"Okay, so you walk into the old abandoned house, there are five coffins- one for each member of the Originals'. You go to the one that seems to be on a pedestal, open it, and inside is Klaus holding Rebekah's necklace," she said.

"Exactly- but I'm sure it's nothing," Bonnie said, sweeping the subject under the rug. "It's probably just stress."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Irina said sarcastically.


	25. what is happening

**AN; Sorry it took so long to rewrite this guys, but here it is! I think that - inbetween the time that I originally wrote this and now - I have evolved to writing longer and more detailed chapters. I literally had to stop myself from writing any more. Just so you know, the rest aren't going to be this long (probably), because I really don't want to change anything about my original writings.**

* * *

If you'll be my boat  
I'll be your sea  
A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity  
Ebbing and flowing  
And pushed by a breeze  
I live to make you free

- Boats & Birds by Gregory and the Hawk

* * *

When Irina woke, she was confused. She wasn't in her bed; instead, she was at the kitchen table. There were grimoires all around her, and Bonnie was asleep in the chair across from her. They had locked themselves in their house for a week, searching for the meaning of her dream, but they couldn't find any answers. Irina had been trying to call Elena ever since she had arrived home from Jeremy's, but the doppelgänger just wasn't answering her calls. Irina was certain that Elena was still pissed at her for not killing Klaus.

Irina began packing up the books and woke up Bonnie in the process. "Hey, what time is it?" she asked.

Irina looked at the clock. "It's... a little after noon," she said.

Bonnie groaned and stretched her arms above her head. While yawning, she said; "I'm hungry. We should go get some lunch."

Irina agreed, but quickly tried to backtrack when Bonnie invited Elena. Bonnie told her to get over it, and that she needed to explain herself to Elena. They left for the grill, hoping that things would easily blow over between Elena and Irina.

* * *

They met Elena at a table in the middle of the Grill, and Irina noticed Damon and Ric over by the bar. She rolled her eyes at their drinking habits and focused her attention on the girl sitting across from her.

"So," Bonnie said, after clearing her throat. "What've we missed for the past two days?"

"Nothing much..." Elena said. "Klaus _still_ hasn't made his move, and I'm getting tired of waiting. We still can't find Stefan, or Katherine, even though I'm sure _Irina_ knows where they are."

Irina narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You betrayed us, Irina! You made a big fuss over making sure Rebekah wouldn't get in the way, and then you turned around and conspired with Katherine and Stefan to protect Klaus!" she said in a forced whisper.

"You have _no idea_ what you're talking about, Elena! You weren't even there!" Irina replied in the same tone.

Elena scoffed. "Then enlighten me. Why, after everything we planned, did you go against Mikael when he was about to kill Klaus?"

"Because killing Klaus would've killed Damon!" Irina replied, a little bit louder than she intended.

A few people turned to look at them, and the three girls put their conversation on hold until the attention was no longer on them. After everyone's attention was elsewhere, Elena leaned in closer to Irina.

"What?" she asked.

"That's why I've been calling you nonstop for two days, Elena! I had no choice but to stop Mikael, or else Damon would be dead, and I can't let that happen," Irina replied.

"But... why didn't you just tell me?" Elena asked.

"Because you wouldn't pick up the damn phone! But yeah, you're right, I've been such a _terrible_ friend," Irina replied. She left the table before Elena or Bonnie could say anything else. She really needed a drink.

* * *

_Oh man I can't believe you're making me drink alone._

Irina walked up to Damon and snatched the shot glass from his hand before he could drink it. She downed the liquor in one go, and rolled her eyes at his pissy expression.

"Well, if it isn't our own little Benedict Arnold," Damon said.

"Screw off, Damon," she replied. She was in no mood to deal with anymore crap from anybody.

"Ah, c'mon, don't be like that!" Damon said.

She rolled her eyes and said; "Why shouldn't I?" She took another drink and winced as it went down.

"Because, I need someone to drink with. I mean, it's the eve of Klaus-ageddon and Ric is doing _homework_," he replied, gesturing to the history teacher next to her.

"This may come as a shock," Alaric replied, "but I am not here to hang out with you."

"Me neither. I´m here to see Jeremy," Irina added.

"Good luck," Alaric said. "He's an hour late for his shift."

Damon chuckled and said; "Kids today... Where are their values?"

Alaric ignored Damon and handed Irina a piece of paper. There was a big red 'F' circled on it. "That's his mid-term paper," he said. "Copied it straight off the internet. Didn't even try to hide it."

"What does Jenna say about this?" Irina asked.

Alaric sighed. "I haven't told her yet. She's been busy with her own school work, and I just don't want her to worry about Jeremy."

The bartender - a blonde girl named Justine who had graduated a few years earlier - stopped in front of them and asked; "Did you say you are waiting for Jeremy—as in Jeremy Gilbert?"

"Yeah."

"He was fired last week."

Irina and Alaric both looked at each other with wide eyes and shocked expressions, while Damon took the moment to try an be funny by saying: "Oops."

Irina and Damon both walked to the table where Elena was. Even though Irina was still a little upset - and a lot hurt - by Elena's lack of faith in her, she was still her best friend. Plus, Irina loved Jeremy, and Elena was really the only one who could get through to him. She and Damon took the two empty seats at the table, and Elena looked confused (and a bit guilty, when she looked at Irina.)

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Elena," Irina began, "we think something bad is going on with Jeremy."

* * *

Elena had tried to call Jeremy multiple times after learning what had happened. She was in the middle of leaving her third voicemail now. "Jeremy, the minute that you get this call me!" she said. She hung up the phone. "Unbelievable!"

"You are feisty when you are mad," Damon said, and Irina rolled her eyes.

"It's not that I'm mad. I'm just—I'm worried," Elena replied.

"Why? He lost his job at the Grill. He can survive, Elena," Damon said, throwing a dart at the board.

"He's spiraling again," Irina said. This wasn't all that different to when he started taking drugs to cope with Miranda and Grayson's death.

Elena nodded. "I don't know why, but ever since homecoming he's moody. He isn't really talking to anyone."

"It's typical teenager," Damon replied.

"A typical teenager doesn't see ghosts, and they don't lose everyone that they care about." Irina replied.

"He hasn't lost everyone," Damon said. "He still has you two."

Irina recognized the tone in his voice. He was sad, and somewhat hurt, that Stefan wasn't back to normal after Klaus let him go. "You okay?" she asked.

Damon got a confused expression. "What makes you think I'm not?" he asked.

"You're daydrunk - it's not your most _attractive_ look," Irina replied.

Damon smirked and moved toward her. "Oh yeah? And what is my most attractive look?"

"I didn't say you had any attractive looks. All I'm saying is that this is my least favorite..." she said.

Damon's eyebrow rose and he said; "Duly noted. I'll try to make some improvements." Damon turned to the dart board and Irina rolled her eyes at his flirting. Elena just shook her head.

She was about to say something when, from behind them, came the last voice they ever wanted to hear. "Don't mind me."

"Klaus," Elena said after they'd turned around.

"You gonna do this in the Grill? In front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?" Damon asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate," Klaus replied. Elena paled at the shock of seeing Klaus' hybrid, and Klaus smiles at her.

"I'm surprised you stuck around town long enough for happy hour," Damon said.

Klaus rolled his eyes and an unhappy expression seemed to overcome his features. "My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out. Truth is I've grown to rather like your little town. Think I might fancy a home here. Oh I imagine you're wondering how does this is affect you. The answer is: not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word."

"What more could you _possibly_ want?" Irina asked, glaring at him.

"Well for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan. See, your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine," Klaus replied.

"We don't know where he is. He skipped town, so that sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem," Elena replied.

Klaus moved toward Elena and Irina, but Damon stepped between Klaus and the girls. Klaus smirked and chuckled. "Well, this is me broadening the scope, _sweetheart_." He walked away, but called over his shoulder; "Don't say I never gave you a fair chance!"

* * *

Irina went with Elena to her house. They were going to wait on Jeremy and confront him about everything that was going on. It wasn't like him to act like this, and they were both worried. Both Irina and Elena loved Jeremy very much. Things were awkward between the girls as they waited for Rick and Jenna to arrive. Alaric had finally told Jenna what was going on with Jeremy, and she didn't seem too pleased. Irina and Elena were both sitting in the kitchen and cleaning off the table for dinner and trying not to suffocate in the awkward silence.

Elena apparently couldn't take it anymore. "Irina, I'm sorry," she said.

Irina, who never really knew what to say in these situations, replied with; "For what?"

Elena sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "For being pissed at you, and not calling you back, and judging you for what you did... I'm just sorry. You're not a bad friend, okay. If anyone's a bad friend, it's me."

Irina walked towards Elena and said; "You're not a bad friend, okay? I understand why you were angry, and I understand why you felt betrayed. I just wish you would've talked to me about it and we could have avoided all of this."

Elena smiled. "Me too. You've been an amazing friend, and you help us so much, and you love Jeremy just as much as I do. I couldn't imagine losing you, and I think that's why I was avoiding you. I thought maybe if I didn't talk about it, then there was no way to confirm that you went dark side."

Irina smiled and laughed a little. "So it would've been like _Schrodinger's_ _Friendship_?"

Elena laughed too and said; "Yeah, I guess so."

Irina and Elena hugged each other, and they were happy to be back to normal.

* * *

Jenna was in full-on rant mode as she walked through the front door. She was very unhappy that this had been going on for so long and she was only hearing about it now. Alaric took the ranting in stride, knowing that Jenna needed a way to vent her feelings and emotions. However, the girls kept quiet, knowing that they weren't prepared to add to the argument.

"I mean, did he just think he could keep this from all of us, and everything would be okay?" she asked, finally losing her wind.

Irina saw this as an opportunity to join the conversation. "Who knows... I mean, he hasn't been like this since the accident, y'know. I just don't understand what would make his personality turn a full 360-degrees in a matter of weeks."

The sound of a key opening the front door made everyone hush, and Alaric muttered; "Showtime."

Jeremy walked into the kitchen and smiled at everyone, as if everything were perfectly fine and dandy. "Just in time! We're cooking," Jenna said.

"Sorry, just passing through," Jeremy replied, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Well, I thought we could all stay in! Y'know, have a meal together, like a typical... atypical family," Alaric replied.

Jeremy looked confused. "Why? And what's Irina doing here? I thought Elena was pissed at her."

"I am right here, and don't turn this on Elena!" Irina said.

"Geez, why am I getting bitched at?" Jeremy asked.

Elena's eyes widened and she looked to Irina, whose face had fallen. "Maybe because you got fired and you didn't tell anyone."

Jeremy had the decency to look chastened, but he still rolled his eyes. "Look, can we do this later? I made plans with Tyler. He's right outside."

"Whoa, when did you start hanging out with Tyler Lockwood?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know, does it matter?" he asked.

"Yes, it matters, Jeremy! He was sired by Klaus! He's dangerous!" Irina replied.

Jeremy scoffed and said; "Y'know, he can still hear you. He is right outside."

"Well let me make sure he heard me clearly, then. He was sired by Klaus, and he's dangerous!" Irina replied, raising her voice at the end.

"And you of all people are going to lecture me on who I can and can't hang out with?" he asked.

Irina's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. She didn't say anything, because she knew she'd regret it if she did. Jeremy was going through stuff right now, because he'd never act like this otherwise.

"Y'know, whatever, this is lame. Tyler's waiting," he said.

He walked towards the hallway but Jenna blocked him. "Oh, no no!" she said. "You're not going anywhere, especially with Tyler!"

When Jeremy looked at Alaric for help, he simply shook his head. Jeremy scoffed and said; "All right, fine. If you want me to stay in, let's all stay in, then." Elena almost looked relieved until he shouted; "Yo, Tyler! Come on in!"

"Jeremy...!" Elena and Irina shouted together.

The front door opened and Tyler walked inside. He came into the kitchen and took a seat next to Jeremy.

* * *

Tyler looked so smug sitting in the awkward silence. Nobody really knew what to say, but Irina didn't need to use her words. She sat across from him and glared, and he got the message. She didn't like him. In fact, if he could read her mind, he would know that she wanted to punch him in his stupid face. How dare he think that he can ruin Jeremy's life, just when it was getting good again.

Jeremy got Tyler a glass of water. "Thanks," Tyler said as Jeremy sat it in front of him.

Elena was shaking her head. "This is weird. Klaus has hybrids stalking me, and now you're just... sitting in our kitchen."

"Look, maybe I should go," Tyler said.

"Yes, maybe you should," Irina replied, giving him the most fake smile she could manage.

"No, stay. You're not doing anything," Jeremy said, giving Irina an annoyed look.

"Unless you have to, y'know, check in with your hybrid master," Elena said. Jenna and Alaric were staying mostly quiet, judging things with that ability only adults seem to have.

Tyler laughed a little, and said; "It's not like that, Elena."

"Well, then, what is it like? If we're misinformed it'd be better to hear the truth directly from the source, right? Tell me, what exactly is the difference between being sired and being compelled?" Jenna asked.

Tyler seemed to think for a second, and then said; "Compulsion - that's just mind control - like hypnosis. But, being sired is... it's like faith. You do something because you _believe_ it's the right thing."

With narrowed eyes and a confused expression, Elena said; "So you believe serving Klaus is the right thing?"

"I don't serve him! Klaus released me from a curse that was ruining my life. I owe him for that," Tyler answered.

"So basically, he now worships at the Church of Klaus," Irina quipped.

Alaric rolled his eyes as if to say 'don't be rude' and ignored her statement. "So, what if he asked you to jump off a bridge?" he asked.

"He wouldn't! And even if he did, I'd be fine. I'm a hybrid."

"Okay," Elena said. "What if he asked you to rip out your own heart?"

"Again, he wouldn't!"

"But what if he did?" Irina asked again.

"I don't know, then I'd rip out my heart!" Tyler replied, getting frustrated. Irina saw Jeremy's expression shift to one that was confused. "You guys sound like Caroline, getting all freaked out over something you don't understand."

"You're right Tyler, we don't understand. Klaus has terrorized every single one of us and you're just blindly loyal to him!" Elena replied.

Tyler shook his head. "You're over-thinking it. I can still make my own decisions."

* * *

There was no more conversation around the table, and the only noise was Jeremy's phone ringing. He left the table to answer it, but he only walked to the sink, so it couldn't have been too secretive. He hung up and sat back down.

"What was that about?" Elena asked.

"It was nothing," Jeremy replied.

Tyler, who looked awkward and slightly offended with the entire previous conversation, said; "I got to go. Umm, thanks for the food offer, but..."

"Next time," Alaric said.

Tyler left, and they saw him flash away right after leaving through the back door.

"I'm going after him to see if he goes back to Klaus. Call me if I you need me back," Jenna said before flashing out of the back door.

Alaric, Elena, and Irina walked to the sink to finish their discussion away from Jeremy. "Well, that was illuminating," Alaric said.

"So Tyler Lockwood is a lunatic who has access to our house," Elena said.

"I mean, this whole sire bond thing is... wild. I don't think Tyler is fully aware of what little reason lies behind what he's saying!" Alaric replied.

"It's like he's joined a cult," Irina added.

Elena scoffed. "Well, great, that's a wonderful influence for you Jer..." she stopped talking as soon as she turned around. "Jeremy?" she asked.

Irina and Alaric both turned, but Jeremy wasn't to be found. Irina focused her energy on the house, but he wasn't inside any longer. She looked on the plate where Jeremy was sitting and saw his ring sitting there. "That's his ring," she said, and Elena picked it up.

"Where'd he go?" Elena asked.

Irina walked out through the front door and noticed Jeremy standing in the middle of the road. He wasn't moving, and he didn't turn towards her when she called his name. She looked down the street and saw a black SUV heading towards him, and it wasn't slowing down. She had always been the fastest runner of their group, and she pushed herself to run as quickly as she could. She propelled herself off of the steps as quickly as she could, and she barely made it in time to push Jeremy out of the way.

Unfortunately, the car wasn't stopping, and she barely heard Elena shout before the SUV hit her. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion after that. She felt like she was flying, and then she felt like she was falling. She hit the ground, and the pain covered her entire body. She could hear Alaric on the phone with Jenna, and she could see them all hovering above her, but she couldn't make out any more than her shadows. She heard Jeremy's voice apologizing over and over, and she felt someone slip something onto her finger.

She wasn't going to make it, and she knew that. She was ready to give up hope when she saw someone else standing above her. It was her grams.

_"Hold on, baby,"_ she said. _"You're not dead yet, and you won't be if I have anything to say about it."_

"Grams," she said.

"What?" she heard Elena ask.

After that everything went dark, and she was standing outside her body watching them carry it inside the house.

* * *

Irina was scared. She was absolutely terrified, and she was on the verge of having a panic attack. "Grams?" she called out into the void.

"I'm here," her grams' voice said from behind her.

Irina rushed to her grandmother and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh my gosh, I've missed you! I died! Grams... I died."

Grams wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm right here," she said. Once she let go, they walked through the void and into the Gilbert home, where Jeremy had laid Irina's body on the couch and was holding her hand with a panicked look on his face. He never took his eyes off the Gilbert ring, which was now on Irina's small hand. Grams pointed this out too her and said; "We're going to make sure you live again, baby."

"Grams, that would take a lot more power than we have!" Irina replied.

"Well, you've got more than just me gunning for you on this side of the veil, darling," she said.

Irina was confused, but she felt magic flowing through her body. There was so much magic, that she could see it glowing from her hands. "What's happening?"

"The spirits are helping you. You're the only chance of saving them, hon. You're worth more alive than you are dead," Grams replied. "All you have to do is touch your body, and you'll go back."

"Really?" Irina asked.

"Yes, but it will take a while. Your body is going to have to heal," Grams replied. "Just don't lose contact with your body, okay?"

Irina nodded, and her grams disappeared. She sat next to her body and placed her ghost hands on her dead arms. Jeremy wasn't looking her way, or he would have been able to see her, right? He could see ghosts now, couldn't he? She would get her answers sooner than she thought.

* * *

She couldn't believe it - Irina was dead. Elena took a glance at some of her injuries; she was bruised pretty much everywhere, and major bones had been broken. Blood and cuts covered her pretty face, and Elena didn't understand why this kept happening. She was holding Irina's hand, when she noticed how a cut on the back of it was slowly healing. It kept fusing together until it finally closed for good. Elena smiled - the Gilbert ring was working. But Irina was supernatural, so _how_ was it working?

Jeremy had slipped the ring onto her finger only moments before she died. Elena didn't want to remind him that it wouldn't work on her. Although they seemed to have been wrong about that minor detail. She was healing, but it was happening slowly.

Jeremy was sitting against the door frame, and he looked more upset than she'd ever seen. He looked vengeful. "Jer..." Elena said.

"Don't say it, Elena. Please; I don't need a lecture right now," he said.

"I wasn't going to lecture you, Jeremy. It wasn't your fault, okay? You were compelled," she said.

Jeremy scoffed. "Yeah, and now she's dead."

"But, the ring..."

"She was supernatural, Elena! It's not going to work. I don't know why I even tried," he shouted.

"No, look! Some of her cuts are healing!" Elena said. "She'll be okay."

Jeremy shook his head. "I won't believe it until she's breathing again," he said. "In the meantime, I'm going to try to find Stefan and convince him to give the coffins back."

"No, Jeremy! He's dangerous!" Elena replied.

"What am I supposed to do, Elena? Klaus won't stop until the coffins are returned, and Stefan is nowhere to be found! And Irina is dead right now, because of Klaus and Stefan's pissing contest! I am so sick and tired of this happening to the people we love, so I have to do something," he said.

* * *

Irina never lost contact with her body, but she heard everything they were saying. ".._.so I have to do something,_" Jeremy said.

"_Just wait, Jer! Just wait until Irina wakes up, because I know she will! Just wait here, and then we can figure something out together, but we need to make sure that she is our first priority,_" Elena replied.

Jeremy sighed and sat on the coffee table next to the sofa. He suddenly looked so much older and tired. "Jeremy," Irina whispered. He looked around the room, but eventually shook his head and held her hand. "Oh Jeremy, why can't you see me," she sighed.

"You're new at this baby," Grams said as she appeared behind her.

"But I want him to see me," Irina replied. "That was always enough for the other ghosts!"

"I don't know, Irina. He's upset right now - that could be why he isn't seeing you," Grams replied.

Irina nodded and looked back to Jeremy. "Yeah, I guess," she said. "While I'm waiting to go back into my body, I should think of a way to appease Klaus for a while."

"That's why I came back."

"You have an idea?"

Grams nodded. "Yes. It's in the Salvatore's basement."

After she gave Irina the information, she disappeared, and she was left with Jeremy and Elena. They couldn't see her, but she had to try and get their attention. She focused all of her energy on Jeremy.

"Jeremy..." He looked around, but couldn't see her. She sighed. It was like someone was thickening the veil around her. "Jeremy, I'm right beside you. Why can't you see me?"

He stood and looked around the room. "_What is it, Jer?_" Elena asked.

"_I can hear her..._"

"_Really_?"

"_Yeah, but I can't see her. Irina! Where are you?_"

"I'm beside my body, Jeremy. Why can't you see me?"

He turned to face her, and it felt like their eyes met, but he couldn't see. Instead, he said; "_I can hear you. I just can't see you._"

"I think someone's blocking me, Jeremy."

"_Why_?" he asked.

"I don't know, but this is very important. I just saw Grams," Irina said.

"_Well, what'd she say?_"

Irina sighed. "She said that there's something important in the Salvatore's basement. I don't know what it is, but she said it could appease Klaus..."

"_In their basement?_" he asked, as if it were the strangest thing he'd ever heard.

"Yes."

_"Okay, I'm going. Elena, you stay here in case she wakes up. I'll be back soon,_" he said.

He ran out of the door before Elena could stop him. She sighed and sat next to Irina again. "I_ wish I could hear you, Rin..._"

"Me too, Lena, me too."

* * *

Jeremy had been gone for hours, and Irina was worried. He should have been back by now. Elena hadn't really moved since the accident happened, except to get a towel to clean Irina off. Alaric had returned with Jenna, who was upset to learn that her blood wouldn't work now. They were finally able to reach Bonnie who had shown up before leaving again to find Jeremy. Irina's body was healing - at least on the outside - and she didn't have many cuts or bruises anymore. Suddenly, there's a rumbling all around her.

She almost loses contact with her body, but Grams' hand suddenly appeared over hers. "Don't worry, I've got you," she said.

"I don't understand! I'm not healed yet!" Irina shouted over the rumbling.

"I know... you're gonna need an ambulance quickly once you wake. I don't know what's going on, but someone over here doesn't want you healed," Grams replied.

"Why?! What did I do?" Irina asked.

Grams shook her head. "I'm not sure why, but they're one of the most powerful witches on the other side. I don't think they need a reason!" she replied. The rumbling was so loud that Irina could barely hear her.

"Tell me what to do!"

"Nothing I tell you is gonna stick, baby! You'll forget everything once you wake."

Irina could feel herself slipping back into her body. With desperation, she looked to Grams. "I love you! I miss you!"

"I love you and miss you too, sweetie. I'm always here! I'm always watching," she replied.

After that, the rumbling stopped, and Irina forgot everything. All that remained was a ringing in her ears and pain throughout her body. She gasped and sat up, with pain spreading through her stomach as she did. Elena was there in seconds, calling for Jenna and Alaric to come into the living room because Irina was alive again.

That's funny... she didn't feel like it.

* * *

Elena was by her side in no time, checking her to make sure her injuries were gone. The external ones were gone, but she could still feel a rib poking where it wasn't supposed to be, and she was pretty sure her wrist was shattered. When Elena accidentally touched her side, she let out a cry that was almost inhuman.

"What hurts?" Elena asked.

"Everything!" Irina replied through her tears.

Jenna and Alaric got to the living room and hovered over her as well. "Would vampire blood help?" Jenna asked.

Elena nodded and looked to Irina for consent. She hated drinking it, but she would give anything to stop the pain at this point. "Ok," she said weakly.

Jenna nodded and sat next to Irina. She bit into her wrist and held it out for Irina to drink. The moment Irina's lips touched Jenna's blood, her skin sizzled like a vampires does when met with vervain. She cried out again, and more confusion ensued. She began coughing, and blood poured from her mouth and onto the carpet.

"That's a sign of internal bleeding," Alaric said. "Call 911!"

Jenna ran to get the phone, and Elena helped Alaric guide Irina to the door. The pain was indescribable, and she couldn't breathe anymore. Eventually she blacked out, and she welcomed the painless darkness.


	26. goodbye

**AN; Thank you for all of the AMAZING reviews! Tomorrow is my birthday, so I might update twice to celebrate! We'll see. Also, never worry about "annoying" me with reviews, okay? I never get annoyed with reviews! (Unless you're purposely _trying_ to annoy me, in which case; yes, I get _sooo_ annoyed by reviews! lol. *sarcasm*) Anyway... here we go! I hope you like it! :D **

* * *

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping  
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken  
So I hung my head and I cried.

* * *

Irina woke in the meadow where she would always dream of Aoife and the by she now knew as Henrik. It was dark here - much darker than she remembered - and she felt very uncomfortable. She felt like a wild animal was going to come out of the woods that surrounded her. She could see the light on the horizon, and she longed for the warmth that daylight would bring.

She ran towards the light, but she was out of breath within moments. She could see her breath in puffs as she tried to regain her breath. She pushed herself further, especially when she heard rustling in the leaves behind her. She didn't want to see what was behind her. Then she heard it; the sound of Aoife - her mother - calling her. She ran and ran, until she finally broke through the dark trees. She didn't see her mother when she arrived, though. In fact, she saw the last person she thought she'd see...

Mikael.

* * *

Jeremy and Bonnie were in her small Prius, and Jeremy wouldn't stop fidgeting. He had quickly figured out what was in the Salvatore's basement; it was Rebekah. Apparently, Klaus had daggered her, and Stefan had stowed her in their cellar until he could safely get her with the others. Jeremy had carried her to the back seat and put her inside, and now Bonnie was driving them to the mansion that Klaus was renovating.

Jeremy's phone buzzed and he looked at the text from Elena. "What's she saying?" Bonnie asked.

"She says that they've got Irina stabilized, but she's still not accepting the vampire blood."

"Why? It doesn't make any sense!" Bonnie said.

"I don't know," Jeremy said, running a hand over his face.

Bonnie thought for a moment. "I bet I could heal her," she said.

"What?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm getting much better at magic, and I saw a spell in the grimoire the other day," she replied.

"Is it dangerous?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I'd be fine, and Irina would be healed! But, let's make the deal with Klaus first," she said.

They pulled up in front of the mansion. It was undergoing renovations, but they could tell it'd be spectacular. Jeremy took Rebekah out of the car and carried her as he walked behind Bonnie and into the mansion. There was no door to knock on, so they assumed it'd be okay. There was no one here. The construction workers were taking a break, and they didn't see any hybrids. There was a whoosh of air, and Klaus appeared before them.

"Hello there," he said.

"Klaus," Jeremy replied.

"You, my friend, are supposed to be dead."

"Yeah, well, your hybrids have sucky aim," Jeremy replied.

"I see you've found my sister," he replied.

"Yep," Bonnie said. "We want to make a deal."

"Oh! What deal would that be?"

"We want to buy some time to find Stefan. We've been looking all over Mystic Falls, but we can't find him anywhere!" Jeremy said.

"Then where'd you find Rebekah?"

"She was in the Salvatore's basement," Bonnie said. "So, do we have a deal?"

Klaus paused and walked a few steps towards them. "I'd say it's a fair deal."

"Thank you," Bonnie said.

"I'll stop my attempts on your lives, if you'll tell me who my hybrid hit," Klaus replied after Jeremy handed over Rebekah. Bonnie and Jeremy shared a look. They knew that Klaus had some sort of connection or fascination with Irina, so they didn't know what to tell him. "Well, I'm waiting."

"Irina... you hit Irina," Jeremy said.

* * *

"Mikael?" she asked.

He was standing in the middle of the meadow, and she walked towards him. "Hello Irina," he said.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Is this real?"

"It is real, and I'm here because I wished to speak with you," he said. Darkness was creeping into the meadow. Mikael noticed her confusion, so he explained. "You're still dying, Irina. Your body will not accept vampire blood, and you will not be healed."

Irina shook her head and tears pricked her eyes. "Why?"

"A witch on the other side - she did this to you," he replied. He handed her a piece of paper. "This is the spell that will undo it."

"Where'd you get it?"

"There's a very powerful witch over here, who is protecting you from an equally powerful witch."

"Why are you helping me?" she asked. "I killed you."  
"You released me, Irina. You helped me to move on," Mikael replied.

She was confused. "What?"

He sighed and said; "You know, Irina, I was there when you were born. I watched you grow into your early childhood. I loved you as my own, even though tradition said that I should not. You had that effect on people."

"I'm so sorry," Irina said.

"Do not fret, child. I am not angry with you. You've saved me from my constant anger and the lack of emotions," he replied.

"You didn't have emotions?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, not since I turned. Please, when you wake, apologize to Klaus on my behalf. I'm moving on after this, so I won't have a chance."

"Okay," she replied, a bit mystified.

"Also, I know your memories will return soon, so please don't feel bad when they do," he said.

After that, he left, and she looked to the paper in her hand. _Sana corporis, Uti sanguinem... _She looked around as the darkness kept creeping towards her. She began saying the incantation.

"Sana corporis, uti sanguinem. Sana corporis, uti sanguinem." The more she said it, the more the darkness dissipated. It was getting lighter, and she felt more anchored. She kept saying it until she was bathed in light, and she finally opened her eyes.

* * *

Klaus waited until everyone went home before going to the hospital. He didn't need everyone to know how much Irina actually mattered to him, but he was pretty sure it was obvious. He heard people talking in her room, so he waited patiently out of sight.

_Damon, what are you doing?_

That sounded like the Gilbert boy, but why was Damon in there.

_I just came to check on her. Also, I came to ask why our basement is currently missing a desiccated blonde._

_That's not my problem, Damon. Tell Stefan if he'd just give the coffins back everything would be fine!_

_Nobody knows where he is, Jeremy, so that's a bit difficult at the moment. _

_Well, find him! Look what happened! I know you're a dick, but you care about Irina, and you always have! We can't let her die, so find a way to control your brother! _

Klaus could almost hear Damon rolling his eyes. He watched as the vampire left the room, and he waited for Jeremy to leave as well. However, after an hour, it became clear Jeremy wasn't leaving. Klaus went to the window that faced the hallway, and looked into their room. He saw the Gilbert boy- clearly worried- holding her hand and resting his head on the bed beside her.

Klaus didn't like how close they were, but Jeremy seemed to genuinely care for her. His phone rang, and he raised his head. Klaus listened in on the conversation as Jeremy answered it.

"Hello?" Jeremy said.

_Hey Jer, can you come home for a minute. We need to talk._

"Elena, I'm not leaving," Jeremy said.

_Please, Jer. It's very important._

"Not so important that I have to leave Irina," he replied.

_Jeremy, you just decapitated someone with a meat cleaver- it's that important._

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Goodbye Elena."

He hung up the phone and Klaus took this time to enter the room. He stood there silently for a moment, before Jeremy noticed him and stood. Klaus was amused at this boy's foolishness- he wouldn't stand a chance against the hybrid.

"Jeremy, why don't you go see what it is Elena wants?" Klaus said.

"I'm not leaving Irina- especially not with you here," Jeremy said.

Klaus was losing patience with this boy. He walked over to Jeremy and looked him in the eye. _You will leave this room, and go see what your sister wanted. Then, if you wish, you may return._

Jeremy nodded and, in a daze, walked out of the hospital room. Klaus walked over beside his daughter's bed, and held her hand. She was still injured, and they weren't expecting her to make it. Why had no one given her vampire blood? He bit into his wrist and pressed it to her mouth. She began drinking like her life depended on it, and didn't stop until he pulled his hand away. Her eyes opened, and she looked around. When she focused on him a look of pure hatred overcame her features, and he saw so many similarities between them.

"Here to finish the job?" she asked, pulling her hand from his.

"You were never meant to be harmed. You shouldn't have gotten in the way," Klaus replied.

She shook her head, as if she were talking to a child. "Jeremy was going to die. I had to save him… I will _always_ save him," she said.

"That is unfortunate," he said solemnly, "but that's not why I'm here. How do you feel?" he asked.

She scoffed. "I feel fine," she said before an amazed look overcame her features. "I feel fine," she breathed. She sat up and moved her arms, twisting at the waist, and flexing muscles. "What happened? I had a broken rib, internal hemorrhaging, and a punctured lung. How am I fine?" she asked.

"I think Damon helped you," he lied.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Klaus said.

She looked at him skeptically, and it reminded him of Finn. He was never one to be too trusting about anything. "Why do you care so much about me?" she asked.

Klaus sighed- that was the million dollar question at the moment. "I cannot tell you a word. Just know, that you are important to me and the rest of my family," he said.

She sighed and let her head fall onto the pillow. A nurse came into her room then, and said; "Oh, you're awake. I'll go get your doctor."

"Wait, could you tell me who my doctor is?" Irina asked.

"Dr. Fell," the young, chipper nurse said. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Irina had always believed in karma- one way or another. She always thought that if something happened, life would repay you for it. She killed Mikael, and was part of the plan to kill Klaus. This was life's way of making her pay for it- that and the fact that people were driving her mad, not being able to tell her why she was so important to the Originals. She had almost died in a very painful way, Klaus wasn't leaving her alone, and people were still being cryptic about her origins. Also, Dr. Fell was back.

If Dr. Fell was back, that almost certainly meant that Sam came with her. "Well, I guess it's finally over," she said, sighing.

Klaus got a confused look on his face, and said; "What are you talking about?"

"I killed Mikael, and the Universe got me back for it," she explained.

He shook his head, but the name Mikael was enough to make him tense. "I told you, you don't have to feel bad about killing Mikael," Klaus said.

"But I do, and I always will," she said. Klaus rolled his eyes and hopefully gave up on convincing her otherwise.

That moment, the doctor came into the hospital room. It was Meredith alright; she would never forget Meredith's face. She and Meredith had always gotten along, and the young woman was sorely disappointed in her cousin for what he did. She moved away and took him with her.

"Irina, hi! How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I feel great, Mer, thanks," she said.

Meredith looked to Klaus and asked; "Who is this?"

"A family friend," Klaus said.

Irina rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything to oppose his statement. She still had things to discuss with him. He stepped out at the doctor's request, and Irina knew he was listening to their conversation.

"So, you look perfectly fine. I don't even understand how you did it," Meredith stated.

"It's almost like magic," Irina said.

Meredith nodded and said; "So, I can discharge you tonight, if you'd like. You only have a few cuts and bruises now- being in a comfortable bed might help you."

"That would be great. Thanks Mer," she replied.

"Well, what are friends for?" she said.

Irina smiled and said; "So when did you get back?"

"Last week, actually. I guess I'm taking Logan's place on the council," she said.

"Did _he_ come with you?" Irina asked.

Meredith knew the 'he' she was referring to, and nodded. Ever since Sam gave Irina the black eye, Meredith has been disappointed in him. He might be her cousin, but she never thought he would do that to someone- especially his girlfriend.

"So how much do you know, since you're on the council?" Irina asked.

Meredith sighed. "You know too," she said.

Irina nodded. "Yep, I do. Do you know about Damon?" she asked.

"Yep. Are you sure you want to be hanging around him? He's… intense. And he's a… _vampire_," she said, whispering the last part.

"I know that, but I can protect myself. Do you know about Tyler?" she asked.

"I know that he's a Lockwood, which means he has the same gene as Sam," Meredith stated. Irina looked confused, and it must have shown on her face. "You didn't know about Sam?" she asked.

"What does Sam have to do with it?" she asked.

"Sam's mother was a Lockwood before marrying my uncle," Meredith explained.

"That explains it… it explains everything," Irina breathed. "The aggression, the mood swings, the violent temper… Sam is a werewolf."

"It explains it, Irina. It doesn't absolve him of what he did. There is something else you should know," Meredith said.

"What?" Irina asked, a feeling of dread welling up inside her.

"Sam accidentally triggered his curse when he lived with me. It would be best to stay out of the woods during a full moon," Meredith said.

Irina nodded and Meredith left the room. A moment later Klaus walked in and looked suspiciously at her. "So, what was that all about?" he asked.

Irina didn't answer- in fact, she barely heard him. Yes, the universe was definitely paying her back for what she had done, and in the worst way possible. First, she almost dies by getting hit by a car. Second, the Original thorn in her side kept trying to kill her, and then telling her she was important to him. And finally, Samuel Fell was back in town with a newly activated werewolf gene. How could things possibly get worse from here?

* * *

Irina was discharged and left the hospital, with Klaus following her. He hadn't left since Meredith told her about Sam, and he honestly looked a bit concerned. He masked it well, but Irina knew it was there. He offered to drive her home, and she agreed since it was late and she didn't want to walk- especially since there was a full moon tonight. She was subconsciously keeping close to Klaus as they walked outside.

She was still sore when she moved, but she didn't complain. She wouldn't look like a stupid little weak human in front of an all-powerful hybrid who couldn't die. She noticed that her arms were still bruised, and she probably had cuts all over her body, but she still wouldn't complain- she was stronger than that.

"I spoke to him," she announced out of nowhere.

He looked up, and Irina almost laughed at his expression. He obviously didn't know what she was talking about. "What?" he asked.

"I spoke to him- to Mikael," she said.

Klaus tensed. "That's impossible. He's dead," Klaus replied.

Irina nodded. "Yes, he is dead. But it's not impossible- not for me. I can talk to any spirit who wants to speak to me. When I'm asleep, they can talk to me all they want," she explained. "It's a witch thing."

Klaus looked stunned. So now, instead of hunting him, he was haunting his Irina. "Well, the next time you see him, let him know that I said to leave you be. This was never meant to be your fight," he said.

She smiled, and said; "No, it's not like that. He isn't haunting me. He just said goodbye, and I haven't seen him since."

"What exactly did he say?" Klaus growled.

Irina sighed. "He said that I will remember soon, and when I do he doesn't want me to be ashamed of my actions. He said that he was ashamed of himself…" she said before pausing. He had also said he considered her his own, but that confused her, and she didn't know if Klaus would continue being nice to her if she had Mikael's acceptance.

"And…?" Klaus asked.

"And that… if anything I ended his suffering. He wasn't the same man as he was when he was human," she said softly.

Klaus scoffed and shook his head. "No, he doesn't get to make amends that easily. He cannot be forgiven for what he has done," he said.

They were at her house now, so Irina didn't really have time for a long reply. She simply put her hand on his arm and said; "He's dead, Klaus. I'm sorry you had to run from him for so long."

She got out of the car and went in her house. She didn't understand why she was still being so nice to him since he tried to kill Jeremy, but she just couldn't be mean to him. It made no sense to her, and she hated it. She would go back to hating him in the morning. She was too tired right now.

"Irina, is that you?" Bonnie asked, coming out of her bedroom.

"Yeah, it's me!" she said.

Bonnie wrapped her in a hug, and said; "I'm so happy you're home. You look so much better. How did that happen?"

"Damon... and Mikael, I guess," she said.

Bonnie looked confused, but kept the smile on her face. "So… you're all good then?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm still a little sore, but other than that I'm all good," Irina replied.

Bonnie smiled. "Good, because tomorrow is a very special day… Caroline's birthday only comes once a year, you know," she said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot! I've had her gift for weeks now," Irina said.

"Don't tell her you forgot," Bonnie quipped. "And you're sure you're okay?"

"Yes Bonnie. I promise," she said, taking an apple from the bowl.

Bonnie nodded. "I just want to make sure, because we're going to skip homeroom tomorrow," she said.

Irina turned her head, and noticed Bonnie's conspiratorial expression. "What are you up to?" Irina asked, suspiciously.

"You'll see tomorrow. Just get a good night's rest," Bonnie said, going back to her room.

Irina furrowed her brows and went to her bedroom, finishing her apple along the way. She could already tell she was going to have a busy day tomorrow.

* * *

Irina woke up early the next morning to knocking on her bedroom door. "If you don't have coffee or tequila, I demand you go away," she groaned.

Bonnie laughed and opened the door, revealing no coffee and no tequila, but a very shiny green apple. "Care to compromise?" she asked.

Irina sighed. "If I must," she said, sitting up. She was still sore, but it wasn't too bad today.

She took the apple from Bonnie as she sat on the bed. She was completely dressed and ready to go. "Hurry and eat so we can go," she said, all chipper and excited.

"What has you in such a good mood at…" she paused to look at the clock, "six o'clock in the freaking morning?"

"We are going to do some magic today, so up-and-at-em!" she said.

Irina rolled her eyes but got out of bed anyway. She finished her apple and tossed it into the trashcan beside her bed. She walked to the kitchen with Bonnie behind her, and poured herself some coffee from the pot.

"So, what spell are we doing and why does it have you so happy?" she asked.

Bonnie's green eyes lit up, and she said; "We are going to try a little opening spell."

Irina's eyes widened with understanding, and she whispered; "You are going to try and open the coffin, aren't you?"

Bonnie nodded before saying; "Hurry and get dressed!"

Irina ran to the shower and relished in the warm water. She let the massage setting work out the pains in her muscles, until the water began getting cold and it was time for her to get out. She dried off and slipped on her underwear, before pulling a robe around her. She went to her closet and pulled out dark jeans and a white tank top to wear under her dusty-rose leather jacket.

She quickly dried her hair and braided it to the side before adding a skinny and shiny headband. She adjusted her necklace so the clasp was in the back, and she was ready to go. She left her bedroom, and saw Bonnie with her grimoire waiting by the door.

"Have you been standing there the whole time?" Irina asked.

"Yes! I want to know what is in that damn coffin!" she exclaimed.

Irina chuckled and said; "Alright, alright, geez… let's go then."

* * *

_Phesmatos sapren emnis labortum fecils quisa exsilum son… _

Bonnie and Irina both chanted that over and over again, but nothing was happening. They kept chanting, and Irina could tell Bonnie was getting annoyed. She reached over to the coffin and tried lifting the lid.

"Why won't you open?" Bonnie shouted.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, and Bonnie took Irina's hand. There was whispering, and then they couldn't see the coffins anymore. That meant someone was definitely down here with them.

"Irina," Bonnie whispered.

"Shh…" Irina said, before walking forward a few steps.

Bonnie followed and they both stopped when they got to the doorway. "Hello?" Bonnie asked, trying to sound confident. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. Irina didn't think she could say anything at all… to be honest, this house frightened her enough as it was. "Is someone there?" she continued.

They turned to look behind them, and when they did something flashed out of the corner. They gasped and turned around, but there wasn't anything… or anyone there.

"We need to go," Bonnie mouthed, and Irina nodded.

They joined hands and made their way towards the stairs. There was still the sound of floorboards creaking, and it was freaking her out. When they got to the bottom of the staircase, they turned to make sure nobody was behind them, when they heard one of the stairs creak.

They both turned, but breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it was only Damon. He held his finger to his lips in a signal to shush, and they both nodded in understanding. They waited until Damon gave the all-clear to leave.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina agreed to keep quiet about where they were. Bonnie was getting frustrated with her inability to open the casket, and Irina understood. She felt useless too, and Irina hated feeling useless. They arrived to school just as the bell was ringing to go to first period, and they saw Elena decorating Caroline's locker. Bonnie had the 'Happy Birthday Caroline' sign with her, and Irina smiled when she saw something so normal.

"Hey! Sorry we're late," Bonnie said.

"We got held up," Irina added.

Elena nodded. "That's okay. I just got here too. Will you pass me the balloons?" she asked. Bonnie picked them up and handed them to her. "Thanks," Elena said.

"Okay, so I'm really sorry I can't stay, but calculus is my first class. I'm already failing, so I don't need bad attendance," Bonnie said before hugging her sister and walking away.

Elena smiled after Bonnie, and turned to Irina. "So what got you running late? Are you okay?" she asked.

"I was working on some new spells… you?" she asked.

"Working out with Alaric. Are you sure you should be doing magic again? I mean… you just got hit by a car," Elena said.

Irina rolled her eyes and smiled as she stuck the sign to Caroline's locker. "Elena, I'm fine! I promise," she said.

Elena smiled. "Good, but there is something I wanted to tell you… and you're not going to like it," she said as he face became serious.

"What happened?" Irina asked.

Elena sighed. "Jeremy's going to be leaving town for a little while. He'll be staying with some old family friends in Denver until this whole Klaus thing blows over," she said.

"Jeremy wouldn't just leave for you to deal with Klaus on your own," Irina said.

Elena nodded and said; "I know… I asked Damon to compel him."

"You what!" Irina asked, earning looks from passing students. She looked around, and Elena waited until people stopped giving them looks before continuing.

"I know, Irina. But it's not safe here for him. Leaving will give him a better life!" Elena explained. "The only reason I'm telling you this is because I know you still care for him- even though you broke up."

"I can't believe you took his decisions away, Elena! How could you do that?" Irina said.

"I just told you, Irina. I will do anything I can to keep Jeremy safe, and I know you will too," she replied.

Irina just stood there watching Elena walk away, before turning to see Jeremy emptying his locker into a box. She felt her heart ache at the thought of him leaving. She loves him so much, but maybe Elena is right. Jeremy can't have a good and normal life here, and he deserves that. That's the best thing she could do for him… let him go.

"So… Denver, huh?" Irina asked as she walked up to him. He just nodded and looked down. "Were you even going to say goodbye?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure you still cared," he said.

Irina was shocked. "Excuse me? I just got hit by a car pushing you out of the way. Of course I care," she said.

Jeremy looked down and said; "Yeah, I know you care, okay? But, I've been getting mixed signals lately, Irina. You say you want to think things through and then you spent the night in my bed."

Irina rolled her eyes and said; "Yes, Jeremy, because I felt safe with you. That's what I needed- to feel safe- and you did that."

"You feel safe with me?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes, because I love you," she said.

Jeremy looked at her and closed his locker. He took her hand and pulled her to the stairwell, away from the eyes of others. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I said I love you, Jeremy. I don't care if we're broken up or not, I still love you," Irina said.

"I love you too," he whispered. "But I have to go."

"I know you do," she said. "I want you to be happy, Jeremy, and Denver will make you happy- I guarantee it."

"And we'll keep in touch…" he said. "I mean, this isn't goodbye."

Irina smiled, but didn't say anything. This really was goodbye, because she couldn't go with him, and he wouldn't be coming back. Klaus couldn't die, so _the Klaus thing,_ as Elena had called it, wouldn't really blow over. He would make new friends, and probably meet new girls in Denver, and she had to let him go. It hurt, but he would be safe there. He wouldn't die in the supernatural mess that was Mystic Falls.

Irina stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. At first he was frozen, until he realized what she was doing, and he finally started kissing her back. It wasn't like the kiss after the sacrifice, though. This one was slow and sweet, and it brought tears to her eyes. She didn't want to let go, but it was best for him.

"I'll miss you," she whispered when they finally broke apart.

"I'll miss you, too," he said. "Bye Irina."

"Goodbye Jeremy," she said softly, but he had already walked away.


	27. death at a funeral

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

**So today is my b-day, and I thought "why not celebrate with 2 uploads?" But, since this is my 21st birthday (a milestone birthday), I decided I'd up it to 3 uploads today! It is 7:25pm EST as I'm typing this, and I'll upload immediately after I'm finished (7:45?). The next upload will probably be at 8:00ish, and then 9:00 or 9:30. So, we'll have 3 updates today! I just wanted to let you all know, so you won't miss out on any uploads. **

**Also, thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews! I am LOVING them! I wonder how long before we make it to 100?! I'm so excited! Thank you for reading, and reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D**

Also, I forgot to put it in the last chapter, but the song is 'You Are My Sunshine' by The Civil Wars.

* * *

My lover's got humour  
She's the giggle at a funeral  
Knows everybody's disapproval  
I should've worshiped her sooner

- Take Me to Church by Hozier

* * *

Caroline was sitting with Elena and Matt in the old mausoleum. Normally, this would have freaked her out. But, she was a vampire now- things were different. This funeral didn't feel right though. Irina couldn't make it because she felt terrible, but Caroline couldn't really blame her. Bonnie left because she was angry at Elena for taking Jeremy's decisions away, and for hurting her sister. The only two left were Matt and Elena.

The door to the mausoleum opened to reveal Irina, bearing gifts of liquor she took from the grill. "I'm sorry I'm late guys. I couldn't miss Caroline's birthday," she said.

"Funeral…" Matt corrected.

"Right… funeral," Irina said with a laugh. "Wait, where's Bonnie?" she asked.

"She left- she's mad at Elena," Caroline said.

"Oh, well… she'll get over it. I have," Irina quipped.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Meaning you're buzzed already, because you hold grudges worse than anyone I've ever met," she said.

"I might have sampled some of what the grill had to offer," she said. "The bartender was very good to me."

The three of them laughed and sat together like old times. Caroline was actually feeling better, until Tyler showed up. "Care, can we talk?" he asked.

Caroline sighed. "Sure, I guess," she said.

She followed him out to the woods, and stood in front of him with her arms crossed. She was totally pissed at him, but she should still listen to what he had to say.

"I take back everything I said before- Klaus can't control me. Not when it comes to you- I won't let him," he said.

Caroline shook her head. He was always going back and forth, and there was really no spark for her. She honestly didn't want to get back together with him… their relationship had run its course.

"Tyler, it's okay," she sighed. "Maybe we just weren't meant to be together. Maybe we just have to accept that and move on."

Tyler's face looked confused and angry, and he said; "I'm not moving on from anything, Caroline. I love you."

"No, Tyler, you don't," she said.

"Yes I do," he argued. "And it's true love, Care."

She paused before saying; "But true love isn't real unless it's returned, is it?"

Tyler just stood there, and she gave him a sad smile before turning to walk away. He caught her arm and pulled her to his chest. His lips were on hers within seconds, and she begged herself to feel something. She wanted to feel the fireworks when he kissed her, but they just weren't there. His lips were moving down her neck, and she didn't want it to carry on.

"Tyler, stop. There's no spark, Tyler, I'm sorry," she said. As she said that, she felt him pause, and then she heard a crunch sound. She hissed in pain. "Ow… what just happened?"

He stepped back, and then his eyes widened. "Oh my God…" he said.

She reached her hand up and touched the skin on her collarbone. "Did you just bite me!" she shouted.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "Caroline…"

She slid down the tree and began breathing heavily. "Get away from me!" she shouted.

Tyler fled and she was left alone. The bite was so painful. She heard voices yelling for her, but she couldn't answer. She was too focused on the pain. The last thought she had was that she was about to die in a cemetery, as a blonde baby-vampire, on her birthday.

* * *

Irina was positively drunk off her ass, but she was still able to seemingly function normally. She noticed that her bubbly blonde birthday-girl bestie wasn't there. "How long has Caroline been gone?" she asked.

"A while- let's go check on her," Matt said.

The three of them got up, and left the mausoleum. "Caroline!" Irina called.

There was no answer, which was weird. Caroline always answered. "Come on Caroline, this isn't funny!" Elena shouted.

"Yeah Care, we don't have any more drinks!" Matt teased. "Where are you?"

"Okay, we need to start a search party. I don't trust that she won't get back together with him," Elena said.

"Come on Caroline! We need to get home… Matt's getting haunted by the Fell ghosts…. ooooo!" Irina said, making Elena giggle when she did the ghost noise. They were so totally drunk.

Out of nowhere, someone flashed in front of them and flung Matt against the wall, before clamping their hands over Elena and Irina's mouths. Irina bit his hand until she drew blood, but it didn't help at all. He pulled them to his car and locked the doors. He began driving so fast that they couldn't jump out even if they wanted to.

"What are you doing Stefan?" Irina asked from the back seat.

Elena's phone began ringing and she took it out to answer it. Stefan swiped it from her and answered it instead.

"Hello Damon… she's a little busy right now," Stefan said.

Irina couldn't hear what Damon said, but Stefan replied with; "Making my next move. Let me ask you something- what's Klaus gonna do if he can't make any more hybrids, and the strongest witch in the world isn't around to help with a solution?"

"What?" Irina and Elena asked at the same time.

Stefan hung up the phone and then threw it out the window. "What are you doing?" Elena shouted. "Stefan, let us out of this car! Do you hear me? Let us out!"

Stefan ignored her- like she wasn't even there. Irina was sobering up a bit, but she was still too drunk to perform magic properly, and she was pretty much drained from using her magic earlier without enough rest, and Stefan obviously knew that.

"Stefan, let us out of this car, or so help me…" she said.

"You'll what? Kill me? Because that would kill you too, and then you'd have no more magic, because thanks to those sharp teeth of yours you have my blood in your system," he said.

She locked her jaw and glared at him, but he was right. There really wasn't anything she could do. "So what's the plan, Stefan? What's the big move you're making?" she asked.

"I took Klaus' family to make him suffer. I'm not going to let him make himself a new one," he said.

"So what are you gonna do?" Elena asked. "Are you gonna lock us in some cave and keep us hostage?"

"Maybe I'll just turn you into a vampire," Stefan said.

Elena's eyes widened, and she yelled; "Stop the car Stefan!"

"Seriously, stop the car Stefan!" Irina yelled. She was about to have a mini panic attack, when she remembered her own phone. She carefully slid it out of her back pocket, but Stefan was one step ahead of her. He took her phone from her and dialed a number.

He put the phone on speaker and sat it in the cellphone holder on his dashboard. The line kept ringing, and Irina tensed when she heard Klaus' voice filter through the line.

_Stefan, how nice to hear your voice!_ Klaus said when he picked up.

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus," Stefan said.

_Well, that's not gonna happen until I get my coffins back._

"Okay, well then I am going to drive your blood source and your favorite witch off Wickery Bridge," he said.

"What!?" Irina shouted.

_I don't believe you, Stefan. You won't kill them._

Stefan bit his wrist and shoved it in Elena's mouth, forcing her to drink his blood. "Stefan, no!" Irina shouted. He removed his wrist and Elena gagged and coughed.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

_What's going on?_

"I just fed her my blood, Klaus. No more hybrids if she's a vampire, and you won't be able to use Irina to help find a solution," Stefan said.

_You won't do it._

"Really?" Stefan asked. "Try me, because your coffins are next to go."

"Slow down, Stefan!" Irina shouted.

"Say goodbye to your family Klaus!" Stefan said as he revved the engine faster, slamming Elena and Irina into their seats.

"Stefan, slow down!" Elena shouted.

"Do it now, Stefan. Stop the car!" Irina said.

Stefan still didn't stop, and they were quickly approaching the bridge. Elena was yelling for Stefan to stop.

"Please, Klaus!" Irina shouted through her tears.

_Fine, I'll send them away. You win._

But Stefan didn't stop. He just kept going faster. "Stefan! Stop!" Elena shouted.

_Stop the car, Stefan!_

Stefan slammed on the brakes, sending Irina and Elena forward in their seats and causing them to scream out. The tires screeched and the car came to a halt, and Irina saw her phone signal that Klaus had hung up. She reached forward to grab it, and put it back in her pocket. Elena was still stunned, and Irina's hands were shaking so badly, and she couldn't get them to stop. It was a two door car, and she couldn't exit until one of them did.

Elena was the first to get out, and Irina quickly followed her. She caught up with Elena who was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Irina caught up with her and took her hand, causing her to jump, but Elena didn't let go.

"Get back in the car," Stefan said.

"Just stay away from us," Elena said.

"Both of you get in the car!" Stefan said in a louder tone.

"How could you?" Elena shouted as she turned. "My parents died going over this bridge, I almost died! You knew that, Stefan. You were the one who saved me."

"What is wrong with you, Stefan? I thought… I just, don't understand," Irina added. She had tears flowing down her face and her throat was thick with emotion.

Stefan sighed and said; "Look, he had to believe I would do it, alright. Your fear sold it."

"Well what if it hadn't?" Elena asked.

"He did," Stefan replied.

"Well, what if he hadn't?" Irina shouted. This time the tears on her face were from anger, not fear.

"He did, alright! He backed down! He has a weakness! If I know his weakness, I can destroy him!" Stefan shouted.

Irina shook her head as a look of realization came over her face. "That's all he cares about, Elena," she breathed.

"After everything…" Elena began, "that's what mattered? Destroying Klaus?"

"Irina, you were there. One whole summer of your life was just wasted because you had to go with him!" Stefan said.

She shook her head. "No, Stefan. I didn't have to go with him. I could have turned my back on Damon and continued to live my life as best I could. But I didn't, because he was your brother, and I loved you too much for that," she said.

"What?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, Stefan. I loved you- you were like the brother I always wanted, but never got to have. Just ask Caroline- after she became a vampire she felt the same way. You were like my brother Stefan, so I couldn't let Damon die if you loved him," she explained.

"Don't you see, Stefan… so many people loved you. Why, if you have so many people who were still willing to love you, would destroying Klaus be your number one priority?" Elena asked.

"Destroying Klaus is all I have left," Stefan said.

"You had me!" Elena said, turning to face him. "You had me, and everyone else who loved you!"

"I lost everyone the minute I left town with him. You just haven't let yourself admit that yet," Stefan said.

"Is that what you're doing? Trying to make us hate you?" Irina asked.

"I really don't care what anyone thinks about me anymore," Stefan said walking back to his car.

As Stefan drove away, Irina felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and saw Matt's name on the screen. She tried clearing her throat as best she could and answered it.

"Hello?" she said through her tears. "Matty, are you okay?"

_Irina, where are you? Are you alright?_

"We're fine Matt, but why do you sound so distressed?" she asked.

_Tyler bit Caroline._

"He did _what_?" Irina asked.

_We have to do something! She isn't going to last much longer!_

"Where are you now?" Irina asked.

_Me and her mom are trying our best to take care of her at her house. Is there anything at all you can do?_

"You stay exactly where you are, Matt. I will be there as quickly as I can. I'll think of something," she said.

_Thank you, Irina. We'll be waiting._

Elena just looked at her with an expression that said _what the hell is going on_, and Irina said; "Something has come up. I have to go. I'm sorry Elena."

She ran off as fast as she could. There was only one place she could go. She had to get help from Klaus, even if it meant serving him again. She couldn't let her best friend die. She ran and ran as fast as she could, and arrived at the Lockwood mansion where the founders party was being held. It wasn't too far from the Wickery Bridge, so she wasn't too out of breath.

She looked everywhere, and finally spied a very pissed-off looking Klaus by the creek that ran through the Lockwood estate. She ran to him, and he turned when she got beside him.

* * *

Klaus was standing by the creek that ran across the Lockwood's property, and he couldn't stop thinking about wanting to kill Stefan. He wanted to murder him so badly, but he was holding off until he knew for certain that Irina was safe. He sensed someone behind him, and when he turned he saw Irina. He breathed a sigh of relief, until he took in her appearance.

Her face was covered in tear streaks, and her eyes were red and puffy. Her hands were shaking badly, and she was breathing heavily, which must have had something to do with the fact that she ran here from Wickery Bridge. Then, he noticed Elena wasn't with her.

"Where's Elena," he asked.

"I need your help," she said. Her voice was raspy from where she had been crying.

"What has happened to Elena?" he asked.

"Elena is fine! I need your help!" she said.

"What do you need my help with?" he asked, noticing her distressed state.

"Tyler bit Caroline. Can you please help her?" Irina said.

Klaus sighed. He had noticed Caroline quite a bit when he was attending business in town, and she had an aura of light about her. Sure, she was a baby vampire, but she was special. She tried so hard to hold on to her humanity, and that was admirable... stupid, but admirable.

"Isn't she one of Stefan's friends?" he asked. "If she dies, then he suffers."

Irina shook her head in disbelief. "Stefan doesn't care about anyone anymore, Klaus! You made sure of that when you forced his emotions off, and now he won't turn them back on! He's gone, Klaus! And you know what; I don't even care anymore, okay? All I want is for Caroline to stay alive, so what's it going to take?" she asked.

She was willing to do anything to keep her friend alive- Klaus could see that. But, he didn't need her to do anything- he would do it for Caroline anyway. He remembered the information he had on her, and if his records were correct, today was her birthday.

"Let's discuss payment after Caroline is healed, shall we?" he asked.

He led her to his car, and she got in the passenger seat. He admired Irina's loyalty to her friend- hopefully she'd be as blindly loyal to him one day.

* * *

Klaus and Irina stood on the front porch of Caroline's residence. She knocked on the door frantically, and Klaus sighed at her impatience. Matt appeared from around the corner and opened the door.

"Irina, what's going on? Why is Klaus here?" he asked.

"Matt, I need you to tell the sheriff to invite him in. He's the only one who can heal her. I told you I'd find a way, and I did," she said.

"I'm here to help, Matt," Klaus said.

"I know how this game works. You want something in return," Liz said, walking to the door.

"Just your support," Klaus said.

Liz looked at him and then looked at Irina. Klaus noticed Irina nod her head slightly, and then the sheriff said; "Come in."

Irina entered Caroline's room first, and said; "Caroline?"

"Hi Irina," Caroline said in a strained voice.

"I brought help," Irina said. "I'll be right outside, okay? If you need me just yell."

Caroline nodded and Klaus walked in the room. "Are you going to kill me?" she asked.

"On your birthday? Do you really think that low of me?" he replied.

She thought a moment, and then said; "Yes."

He sighed and then reached forward to move the blanket away. He smelled the blood when he entered the house, and he knew exactly where it was coming from when he entered the room.

"Oh, that looks bad," he said. It wasn't in a mocking way… he was simply stating the facts. "My apologies."

"You didn't do it," she said.

"True, but I feel apologies are in order, and I'm currently the only hybrid around to give them," he said. She actually cracked a small smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "I love birthdays," he said.

She scoffed slightly and said; "Yeah. Aren't you like… a billion or something?"

"Well, you have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline. Celebrate the fact that you are no longer bound by trivial human conventions," he said. "You're free."

"No," she croaked out, and Klaus internally winced at her voice. "I'm dying."

He moved to sit on the side of her bed. "And I could let you… die," he said, lowering his voice. "If that's what you want. If you really believe your existence has no meaning. I've thought about it myself, once or twice over the centuries… truth be told. But I'll let you in on a little secret," he said.

He leaned in closer, and she seemed enthralled by what he had to say. She was one of the few people he had ever met who knew of his past crimes, yet still looked him in the eye without flinching. "There is a whole world waiting for you. Great cities, music, and art- genuine beauty… and you can have all of it. You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask," he said.

He could see her inner battle, and he knew what she must be thinking. He's the enemy. He killed Elena and Jenna- even though they came back- he was supposed to be the one they feared. But, here he was opening up to her… offering her genuine beauty. He saw the tears in her eyes, and he knew her decision was made.

"I don't want to die," she said.

He rolled up his sleeve, and helped her move into a sitting position, cradling her with one arm. He held his arm in front of her, and said; "There you go, sweetheart. Have at it."

She looked shocked for a moment, but then bit down gently on his arm. "Happy birthday, Caroline," he said.

* * *

Irina left with Klaus, and it was quiet as they drove to Elena's house. Irina had left her car there, and she would be able to drive herself home.

"Thank you…" she said after the silence got to be too much. "For saving Caroline."

"It was my pleasure," he said.

"I suppose I owe you now," she said.

He smirked. "Just get my coffins back to me, and we'll be square," he said.

"Easier said than done," she muttered, but he didn't reply.

* * *

She thanked him after getting out of his car, and watched him drive away. Nobody was safe here- not even vampires. That got Irina thinking that maybe Jeremy wasn't the only one who should be going away. She ran to Elena's door and knocked on it.

Elena answered, and pulled Irina into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't know what was going on!" she said.

"I'm fine Elena," she said. "We need to talk."

"Okay," Elena said.

They went up to her room, and Elena shut the door. Irina sat on her bed, and Elena was facing her. "I think Jenna should go with Jeremy," she said. She was so quiet that Elena didn't think she was making any noise at all.

"What? Why?" Elena asked.

"Caroline was bitten today. Nobody is safe, Elena," Irina said. "Not even vampires," she added quietly.

"How would we do it?" Elena asked.

"Leave that to me," Irina said.

* * *

Irina was so happy that potions didn't require the gnarly ingredients that they did in movies. For this one, all it took was a very small amount of vervain and some water. Then, you'd just say the magic words and make them drink it. She said the same words she said the day of the homecoming dance, when she compelled Rebekah to keep quiet on what they were going to do to Klaus.

She stayed the night at Elena's so she could have a better chance at getting Jenna to drink the stuff in the morning. She slipped it in a glass of blood and handed it to her. The vervain was spelled so it wouldn't burn her- it would simply be the essence that allowed her to enter the vampire's mind. She also slipped some in her own drink, just as the spell said.

"What's the occasion?" Jenna asked.

"What do you mean?" Irina replied.

"I've never drank blood from a glass before," she said.

Elena smiled. "We're pretending it's fruit juice," she said.

Jenna laughed and drank the entire thing. She looked Irina in the eyes and Irina knew she had her.

_Jenna, I need you to listen to me, okay?_

"I will listen to you," she said.

_You are going to go to Denver with Jeremy and start a new life there. You will only come back to Mystic Falls when he does. You will have fun and be happy. You will always protect him._

"Yes," Jenna said, in her daze. "I will go to Denver and protect him."

Irina turned her head away, and Jenna was freed from her mind control. Hopefully it wouldn't wear off for a while. Irina was going to leave, but Jeremy stopped her in the hallway. He wanted to talk, and she needed to find a way to say goodbye without actually having to say it. She followed him to his room, and she didn't leave until noon the next day.


	28. dust to dust

**ATTENTION! IMPORTANT! READ! This is my second update today, so make sure you've read the previous chapter, okay?**

**AN; So I didn't know it would take me THIS long to edit the chapter. Let's say the next chapter will be posted between 10:00 and 10:30. I'm SUPER sorry you guys! **

* * *

You've held your head up  
You've fought the fight  
You bear the scars  
You've done your time  
Listen to me  
You've been lonely, too long

- Dust to Dust by The Civil Wars

* * *

_Irina was walking through the cemetery. Every headstone she looked at belonged to a Bennett woman. She was completely confused- why would she be dreaming of this? She passed by one grave that she knew well- it said 'Sheila Bennett'. She sighed and bent down to touch the headstone. She missed her grandmother like crazy- is that why she was dreaming of this? She said a few words under her breath, and her grandmother's favorite flower began growing in front of her headstone._

_She did the same with the others she saw; Amelia, Emily, Ernestine… they were all here, and she didn't understand why. She grew their favorite flower on each of their graves. Her grandmother's favorite was mums. There were tulips for Amelia, Emily obviously loved Roses, and Ernestine liked Violets. They were so pretty, and she found herself wishing she could meet these other Bennett witches._

"_You are so kind, baby," a voice said behind her._

_She turned and saw her grandmother- Sheila Bennett. "Grams?" she asked._

"_Hello baby," she said._

_Irina ran to give her a hug, and she felt so safe when she was in her grandmother's arms. She smiled at Sheila, and the woman smiled back. "How are you here?" she asked._

"_This is a dream, honey," Sheila said._

_Irina knew her face fell a little, but she would enjoy her time here while she could. "So, why am I dreaming of the Bennett cemetery?" she asked._

"_Because the spirits are trying to send you a message dear," said another woman. She turned to see Emily- the one who possessed Bonnie_

"_Emily, why are you here?" she asked._

_She smiled, but looked past Irina, so Irina turned to see what she was looking at. There was another woman there, but she was elderly. Her hair had grey streaks in it, and she was wrinkled. But, there was an aura about her that demanded respect. She was definitely powerful. She was dressed in a puritan outfit, so she must have been from the sixteen-hundreds._

"_My name is Ernestine," she said with a kind smile. "And yes, I'm quite old."_

_Irina didn't know what to say, so she turned to look at Sheila. However, in her place was a young girl- she was no more than twenty._

"_Are you Amelia?" Irina asked._

_Amelia nodded and said; "Yes, I am."_

"_Why are you all here?" she asked._

_Sheila smiled and said; "We know what's in your heart, baby."_

"_I don't understand," she said._

"_You have been feeling like you don't belong, but you do. When we took you in to raise you, you were claimed, my dear," Sheila said._

_Irina's brow furrowed. "I don't know what that means."_

"_It means we claimed you into our family, and you are under our protection. No matter what, you are a Bennett now. You will always be a Bennett, even though your bloodline is different," Amelia explained._

"_Oh," Irina said. She couldn't manage to say anything else._

_Ernestine smiled and walked to her. "You are powerful, Irina- more powerful than I could ever dream of being. You need to make sure that you use your powers to help- not hurt," she said._

_Irina nodded, and Emily took her hand. "Once that coffin is open, you'll have a chance to get your memories back. But, when you do, don't forsake your family. You will be confused, but remember that Bonnie is your sister and always will be," she said._

"_I would never abandon Bonnie. I will always love her- that's what sisters are for," Irina said._

_They four of them smiled. "Well, then, our work here is done. The spirits will relay their message to you now," they said._

_And just like that they were gone. Irina looked around, but didn't see anybody. She kept walking through the gravestones, and saw the coffin in the distance. She ran to it, and tried to pry it open, but it was still stuck. She kept trying to lift the lid, but it wouldn't work._

"_I've figured out how to open it," a voice said behind her. She turned to see Klaus, and it confused her. "Can you?" he asked._

_He zoomed forward and practically attacked her. He bit her neck and waited until she passed out from blood loss._

* * *

_She woke breathing heavily due to fright. It was dark, and she couldn't see anything. She moved her hand to the side, and was met with a hard surface. It was the same on the other side as well. She moved her hands in front of her, but she was met with another hard surface. Surely, this wasn't…_

"_Oh no. No, no no," she breathed._

_She fished her cellphone from her pocket and let the light illuminate the darkness. Yep, Klaus put her in a box. Why was she in the coffin? What did it all mean? She had always liked small, enclosed spaces, and she wasn't claustrophobic like Bonnie. However, she didn't like the thought of being trapped with no way out._

_She started banging on the coffin, trying to open the lid. "Help!" she screamed. "Help me!"_

_She kept banging, but stopped when she heard someone on the outside. She became hopeful and said; "Hey! I'm in here! Help me, please! I'm in here!"_

_Suddenly, the lid was flung open, and she saw a woman standing above her. She looked so familiar, but Irina couldn't place her name._

* * *

Irina's eyes opened quickly, and she gasped. She was okay - she wasn't in a coffin. She was... _where was she_? She looked around the room as the previous night came rushing back to her. It was one of the best nights she'd ever had, but it was also one of the saddest. It was the first time she'd slept with Jeremy, and it was goodbye-sex. The night hadn't started out as sex, though...

* * *

_They had run out of things to say at least an hour ago. They were just lying on his bed and enjoying each other's company. This was it - this was the last night she would see Jeremy for quite a while. He'd leave, and he'd make new friends, and he'd probably forget all about her eventually. She wasn't about to let that happen. She leaned over and snuggled into his side before leaning over to kiss him. It was a deep kiss, and he didn't reject it. _

_After that, the night turned into kisses and touches, and she had been so happy. She almost forgot that he was leaving. They fell asleep in the other's arms, and she found herself praying that the compulsion would wear off. She just wanted him to stay._

* * *

When Irina got home she went back to bed. She couldn't face Bonnie or anyone else yet. She would wait until morning to tell her sister what happened.

* * *

Irina walked into the kitchen and saw Bonnie with her head on the table. She smiled and shook her head at her sister before going to get coffee.

"Rough night?" Irina asked as she sat across from Bonnie.

Bonnie lifted her head and nodded. "I've been having these dreams for days now," Bonnie said. "It's like the witches are trying to send me a message."

Irina paused with her cup in front of her face. "Wait, what happens in the dreams?" Irina asked.

"I'm in the cemetery. I see the coffin. Klaus comes and puts me in the coffin…"

"And then a woman opens it to let you out," Irina finished.

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Yeah! How did you know?" she asked.

"I had the same dream," Irina said.

"I can't place the woman because it's hazy, but she looks so familiar," Bonnie said.

"That's how it was for me, but last night I got a good look at her," Irina replied.

Bonnie smiled. "Well, who is it?" she asked.

"It's our mother," Irina said.

* * *

Bonnie and Irina were at Elena's house looking through tons of papers on every Abby Bennett in the US. They had been at it forever, but they were getting nowhere. They were all getting hungry, and Irina was volunteered to get lunch. She drove to the Grill and got everyone their favorite meal.

She walked out of the Grill and ran into the one person she had hoped to avoid for the rest of her life. Samuel Fell was standing in front of her with a smirk on his face. There was something different about him- he looked… stronger.

"Excuse me," she said as she walked around him.

He grabbed her arm and turned her around. "Wait," he said.

"What do you want, Samuel?" she asked.

"I just want to talk," he said.

"I have nothing to say to you- I said it all when I dumped your ass," she said.

He let go of her arm, but said; "Irina, please. Just listen to me," he said.

"No! I don't have to listen to a word you say," she replied.

"Look, there is this guy," he began.

"This guy? So you've finally come out of the closet," she quipped.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. Anyway, there is this guy who says I'm supposed to protect you. I owe him for freeing me from my curse," he said in a lower voice.

"Oh no," she said.

"I'm not exactly happy about it either, but you're under my protection now. I'm supposed to keep you away from vampires- especially someone named Stefan," he said.

She scoffed. "Well isn't that ironic. Listen to me- I don't care what your _master_ says about anything, do you understand me? If you come near me again, you will regret it," she said.

"Oh come on, Irina. You aren't able to hurt me- I'm a hybrid now," he said.

"You've been warned," she replied.

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm again. This time, she focused all of her energy into giving him the worst headache she could. He fell to the ground groaning and clutching his head. "Did I forget to mention that I'm a witch?" she asked.

She stopped his headache as soon as she got in her car and drove back to Elena's house to finish searching for Abby.

* * *

Irina walked into the house and saw Damon talking to Elena and Bonnie. Apparently he had just found the right Abby Bennett- who now went by the surname Wilson- and it just became so real for her. This woman helped raise her for an entire year before she just left. She was more Bonnie's mother than Irina's, and Irina didn't think she should go with her.

"Um, bad news guys. It's just gonna be you and Bonnie. I couldn't get out of work," Irina lied.

"That sucks, but we can go tomorrow," Bonnie replied.

Irina shook her head. "No, really, you should go today. Elena's going to make you anyway," Irina said with a laugh.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked.

"Positive," Irina replied. "Oh! By the way- Sam is back."

"What!" Elena and Bonnie exclaimed at the same time.

Damon raised an eyebrow and said; "So… we don't like Sam?"

"No, we don't," Elena said. "How do you know he's back?"

"Because I saw him," Irina began. Taking in their shocked expressions she continued by saying; "Yep. Actually I kind of bumped into him. And there is some even better news."

"Ugh… please don't tell me he asked you out again," Bonnie said.

"Nope. He's a hybrid now," Irina said.

If it were possible, Elena and Bonnie's eyes widened to new levels. She swore they were going to pop out of their heads.

"Isn't the requirement for being a hybrid that you have to be a werewolf first?" Elena asked.

"His mother's maiden name is Lockwood. She married into the Fell family," Irina explained.

"Oh my gosh," Bonnie breathed.

"Yeah, so I'm gonna go let Stefan know…" she said before walking out the door, purposefully leaving the explanations to Bonnie and Elena. She didn't want to revisit that moment in her life- especially by explaining what happened to Damon.

* * *

Irina entered the boarding house, but she couldn't hear herself think with the heavy guitar solo pouring from the speakers. She was walking towards the stereo when she called for Stefan.

"Stefan's not here at the moment sweetheart," Klaus said after the music had been turned down.

Irina jumped and turned to face him. Her expression was one of pure loathing, and he actually looked confused, though he tried to hide it well.

"You seem to be having a bad day," he commented.

She scoffed, and said; "Oh no… the word bad does not even begin to describe it. And it's all your fault!"

"This should be good," he muttered. "How is it my fault sweetheart?"

"Okay, one; stop calling me sweetheart. There's nothing sweet about me. Two; why do I have my own personal hybrid?" she asked.

Klaus sighed. "I am trying to protect you after Stefan's little homicide mission," he said.

"I can take care of myself, Klaus," she said.

"Oh that's perfectly obvious. How many times have you nearly died in the past two weeks?" he asked.

"Hmm," she mused, before asking; "And who got the ball rolling on all of this?"

"You're seriously not blaming me for this are you?" he asked.

"I don't know Klaus. If I can't blame you, then who should I be blaming?" she asked.

He smirked. "You should blame Stefan. I gave him his freedom- he just won't turn his blasted humanity back on," he said.

"He should have never turned it off in the first place… look! I'm not arguing with you about this. Just make Sam leave," she said.

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart. I need to make sure you're protected, and I can't do that on my own now can I?" he said.

She sighed and went to pour a drink from the bottle Damon seemed to love so much. She took the glass of amber liquid and went to the sofa to sit. She needed to find a way to make him send Sam away… but how?

"Aren't you a bit underage to be drinking that?" he asked.

"Aren't you a bit too busy with siring hybrids to care what I'm drinking?" she retorted.

He chuckled and sat back in his chair while studying her. "Touché," he said.

After a few moments of silence between them, she finally said; "Why Sam?"

"I don't follow," he said.

"Why did you turn Sam? How did you even know about him?" she asked.

"When I visited you in the hospital, you and that doctor friend of yours… what was her name? Marianne…"

"Meredith," Irina interrupted.

"Ah, yes. Meredith Fell- his cousin- told you about his curse being activated. I just had to track down anyone named Sam who recently moved to town," Klaus explained.

"Okay… that explains how you knew about him. But why did you turn him? Are you just going to turn every werewolf that crosses your path now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Although, the reason I turned him is because you needed someone to protect you, and you seemed to have history with him," Klaus said.

Irina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Did you do any research at all on him?" she asked. He shook his head and she scoffed. "There is a reason some things are history, Klaus. They aren't meant to be revisited. I don't need someone to protect me, okay? Please, just make him leave me alone."

She got up and made her way to the door just as Stefan was walking in. She stood in his way, and he raised an eyebrow. "Was there something you needed?" he asked.

"You remember that guy I told you about, back when I could stand to look at you without feeling nauseated?" she asked in a very cold tone.

He rolled his eyes and said; "Which one? There are lots of guys that girls whine about."

"Samuel Fell," she answered.

"Oh…" he said in realization. "Yeah, I remember."

"He's back. Steer clear," Irina said in the same cold tone before giving one last hateful look at Klaus and leaving the boarding house.

* * *

Klaus had just had a very interesting match of wits with Stefan, leaving the brooding vampire with some food-for-thought. He walked through town intent on finding Sam and asking him exactly what his history was with Irina, when he heard someone playing the guitar and singing.

He followed the sound to a music store. It's something you wouldn't look twice at, and it wasn't one of the most prestigious places Klaus had visited in his time, but the voice inside was beckoning him. It was lovely, and he wanted to hear more of it. There was only one time when he remembered hearing a voice so clear and pretty- from Aoife.

The person playing struck a wrong note, and he heard her sigh and begin again. He smirked and entered the music store. The voice had to belong to Irina. She said she worked here, and it was so similar to her mother's voice. The only difference was that Irina's voice was a higher pitch.

_I'll sing it one last time for you, but then I really have to go. You've been the only thing that's right in all I've done…_

He watched her as she sat there. He had seen some great musicians in his lifetime, and while she was good, she didn't have their years of training and expertise. However, the emotions displayed on her face told him everything he needed to know. She was happy when she was playing music and singing, even if the song was sad.

_Light up, light up… as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear…_

She paused and her posture straightened, before she turned to see Klaus standing behind her. She rolled her eyes and stood before walking past him. She took her guitar and sat it behind the counter before picking up a rag and dusting the display cases. Klaus watched, waiting for her to initiate conversation. He didn't even know why he was here, but he would get answers one way or another.

He didn't have to wait long. Like her uncle Kol, she seemed to be uncomfortable with silence. "So, Klaus… what brings you to the music store?" she asked.

He smirked. "I heard someone singing, and thought I would see who it was," he said.

She scoffed, and he knew she was rolling her eyes. She walked back around the counter and took a seat in the tall chair behind it. She put her elbows on top of the counter and rested her chin on her hands, looking at him with a smirk.

"So, Klaus… have you called off your newest hybrid?" she asked.

He smirked at her as well. "No, I haven't," he said.

"Hmm. Maybe I'll just take care of him myself," she mused.

"Irina, I want you to listen and listen well. I want to protect you, but if you harm any of my hybrids, I will kill everyone you love," he said.

She narrowed her eyes. "Except Elena, of course," she quipped.

"Stop being cute," he sneered.

"It's not possible," she replied. "So you're really going to have him follow me around everywhere?" she asked.

"That's the plan sweetheart," he said casually.

She smiled and said; "Fine." She looked at her phone and sighed.

"Is there a problem love?" he asked.

"Apparently your newest bitch got my cell number, and he just texted me," she replied. "Just so you know, if anyone is going to cause him pain in any way, it will be me. I think I've earned that privilege," she said. She stood and picked up her things before walking to the front door.

Klaus followed her out and she locked the door to the shop. "What do you mean you've earned the privilege?" he asked.

"Ask Sam," she said before getting in her car and driving off.

* * *

_Who does he think he is? Placing a guard on me and then refusing to listen to me… this is getting ridiculous _Irina thought as she drove down the road. Klaus obviously didn't do many background checks. It's not like he'd find anything anyway, but still- he could have asked around. She scoffed at her thoughts- he didn't really care for her. She was simply a novelty for him because of the power she could conjure. That was all he cared for.

She pulled up to the Salvatore boarding house and ran inside. "Damon!" she called.

"What is it?" he asked, seeming to appear from nowhere.

She jumped back in surprise, but the pulled her phone out to show the message she received from Bonnie. He read it, and flashed them both out of the boarding house and to an SUV.

"We couldn't have taken the Camaro?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes and drove them quickly to the witches' mansion. "This place still creeps me the hell out," Irina muttered.

He smirked and held a finger to his lips. She knew what he was doing, and she did the same. They got out of the SUV and went into the house. She felt the atmosphere with her magic, and determined they were the only ones in the house. They ran to the basement, and Damon tried starting with the coffin nearest the stairs.

Irina stopped him and said; "No, take the locked box. That's the one he wants the most. We don't have enough time to get all four out."

He nodded and flashed the coffin up the stairs. While he was busy putting the coffin in the SUV, Irina walked over to one of the coffins. She opened it, revealing a man in 11th century dress. She shook her head and closed it before walking to the next one. Upon opening it she saw Elijah. The last time she had really spoken with him was when she helped deceive him at the lake house. That seemed like such a long time ago now.

She firmly grasped the handle of the dagger and pulled it from his chest. She slid the dagger into her back pocket and closed the lid on the coffin. Damon came back down in that moment, and pulled her back up the steps.

"Ay, I can walk you know," Irina said in annoyance.

"You were taking too long," Damon said in a hushed tone. "Now, for a place to take the coffin," he mused.

Irina thought for a moment. There was only one place it would truly be safe. "The old Lockwood caves, with the drawings," she said.

"You think?" he asked.

"It's the only place it's truly safe, and the only place that Bonnie can try to open it without someone trying to kill her," she replied.

"Well aren't we a smart little one," Damon replied. "So, while we're driving, do you mind if I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Shoot," she replied.

He paused for a moment before asking; "Why didn't you go with Bonnie to see Abby?"

Irina sighed. "Because she was never really my mother, Damon," she said.

"You know, you never really told me your story," he said.

"That's because I don't remember the first five years of my life. All I remember is waking up in Grams' back yard. They ran outside and found me, and brought me inside to clean me up and make sure I was okay. That's all I remember of Abby. She left later that year," Irina said.

Damon didn't say anything; he just continued driving until they got to the caves.

* * *

After taking the coffin to the caves, they drove back to the mansion on the off chance that they'd be able to get the other coffins out. They exited the vehicle and entered the mansion, when Irina put a hand out to stop Damon from continuing to the basement. He looked confused until Irina pulled out her cellphone and typed _he's here_.

Damon seemed to understand, and took Irina's hand as a precaution. They arrived in the basement to see Klaus sitting in a chair, awaiting their arrival.

"Hiding amongst your witchy friends, I see," he said. "and in squalor, no less."

Suddenly the flames from the candles erupted and there was a shaking in the Earth. Irina could feel her powers being channeled, and her grip on Damon's hand tightened as she almost stumbled forward. The witch spirits were giving Klaus a terrible headache, so she didn't mind them channeling her. Besides, how many times did she channel them over the past year?

Damon smirked and said; "Insulting a bunch of dead witches… not smart. I made the same mistake the first time I came to this place."

"Well you know, the funny thing about witches is that living or dead they care about their own. A hundred dead witches have a thousand living descendants. Now, I have no problem killing every last one of them if I don't get my coffins back!" he shouted.

Irina could tell Klaus was still in pain, but he was beginning to stand again. She could hear the dead witches hissing at him, and it frightened her. She kept her wits, though. She wouldn't show him that she was weak. The dead witches stopped channeling her and she removed her grip on Damon's hand. They still weren't showing him the coffins.

"Well, looks like that's not going to happen, Klaus," Damon said.

"I have had enough of this. My patience can only be stretched so far. It seems a demonstration is in order," Klaus said. He flashed to Irina and sunk his fangs into her neck. She let out a scream, and Klaus removed his fangs. She could see blood- her blood- dripping down his chin. Damon helped her stand because she was going weak from blood loss.

"As we speak my hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line," he shouted. The flames went higher, but then died down. Klaus seemed to no longer be in pain. "Now, please show me the coffins," he said.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the atmosphere and the coffins were visible. Irina was still putting much of her weight onto Damon, but he didn't seem to be struggling at all. Klaus ran his hand over one of the coffins, before noticing that there was one missing.

"Where's the fourth?" he asked. "Show me!"

"Well, ehh… here's the thing. They can't. It's not here," Damon said.

"What did you do?" Klaus asked.

Damon smirked. "Well, Bonnie gave me the heads up. I didn't have time to get all four, but I did have time to get one," he said. "And Irina has been compelled to forget," he lied smoothly.

"I will tear you limb-from-limb. And only then, when you are a writhing mass of blood and flesh, will I rip your heart from your chest," Klaus threatened in a menacing tone.

"Sorry. Same rules apply… you know, leverage and all. I know you want your family back, but something tells me you want what's in that coffin a lot more," Damon said with a smirk. He turned and led Irina up the steps and out of the mansion before taking her back to the Salvatore boarding house.

* * *

Damon had pretty much ordered Irina to stay at the mansion tonight, along with Bonnie and Elena. Klaus would be extremely angry, and an angry Klaus is a vengeful Klaus. Elena and Bonnie would arrive later that night. Irina cleaned herself up and willed herself not to break down.

After showering and bandaging her neck, she got dressed in her pajamas and went downstairs. She heard Stefan enter the house, and snuck up to listen in on their conversation.

"You're still alive. I assume that means Klaus didn't get his coffins," Stefan said.

"Well, don't look so happy," Damon grumbled. "I only had time to get one out- the locked one."

"Probably a good choice," Stefan replied. There was something wrong with his tone- he seemed to be holding back some sort of emotion.

"Yeah. You know, if you're banking on Bonnie's mama to open it you're screwed. She doesn't have any powers left," Damon commented.

Stefan sighed and said; "It doesn't surprise me. It's been that kind of night."

"Is Elena okay?" Damon asked.

Stefan didn't say anything, but he wasn't walking around. Then, Irina heard what sounded like someone punching somebody. She ran into the room to see Damon holding his nose. "I take it you two had a heart-to-heart," Damon said.

"What the hell is going on?" Irina asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Stefan replied in a no-nonsense attitude.

Irina nodded with pursed lips and said; "Noted. So, why don't we talk about this?" She pulled a dagger from the pocket of her pajama pants and ran her fingers along it with a smirk on her face.

"What did you do?" Damon asked.

She looked at them with mischief in her eyes, and said; "Let's just say that Klaus will have a bit of a welcoming present when he arrives home."

* * *

Elena and Bonnie bailed on staying at the boarding house, and Irina explained to Damon that she would be more comfortable staying at her own house. The only vampire with an invite was Caroline, and that was the only one who would ever get an invite if Irina had anything to say about it.

Damon finally agreed after Irina brought up the fact that she would be in just as much danger here. Stefan had proven that after his little stunt on Wickery Bridge the other night. Damon had finally gone to his own room, and Irina was preparing to leave when Stefan stopped her at the door.

"Let me walk you to your car," he said.

"You're playing the gentleman now?" she snapped.

He didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked his own. "Did you mean it?" he asked.

"Did I mean what?" she said.

"When you said that I was like the older brother you always wanted, but never had… were you telling the truth?" he asked.

She nodded and said; "Yes. I was telling the absolute truth. I wouldn't have been so upset if I didn't think of you as family, Stefan. Torture and threats on my life I can deal with, but betrayal from someone I love dearly… no. I can't bear that."

Stefan nodded and looked down. He looked utterly ashamed, and Irina was confused. "I shouldn't have kidnapped you," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I took things too far, Irina. I apologize," he said.

"Thank you," she said.

He sighed. "All my life I wanted a sister. I didn't even realize I had one until she was gone," Stefan replied.

"Just because a relationship is broken, doesn't mean it's unsalvageable. I want to be like your little sister again- I enjoyed it. Hell, I don't even care if your emotions stay off for all eternity. If that's what you need, so be it. But I don't want betrayal. That's one thing I don't easily forgive, Stefan. But I would try… for you," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you're hurt right now, and it isn't your fault. You didn't want to turn your emotions off. The fact that someday you might be caring again is enough to make me want to forgive you, Stefan," she said.

She pulled him into a hug before opening the front door and walking to her car. She drove to her house and immediately went to her room. Today's events had taken a toll on her, and she just wanted to sleep it off.


	29. the ties that bind

**UPDATE #3 FOR TODAY! I hope you like it! Irina is SO CLOSE to getting her memories back! AHH! Anyway, If you haven't read the 1st two updates from today, please do that! :D**

* * *

Confused what I thought with something I felt  
Confuse what I feel with something that's real  
I tried to sell my soul last night  
Funny, he wouldn't even take a bite

- Come With Me Now by the Kongos

* * *

Irina woke up with a pounding headache. She tried her best to sleep soundly, but of course she had nightmares. Her entire life was a nightmare; why should her dreams be any different? She heard the sound of her cell phone and checked the messages. She had two from Elena, one from Caroline, one from Bonnie, and one from Elijah. She ignored all the others and opened the one from Elijah immediately.

_Where do you want to meet?_

She smiled and texted him back. _You pick the place. I'm bringing Damon._

_Why Damon? _He texted a few minutes later.

_He is on your side too, Elijah. He'll be on his best behavior, I promise. _

She waited for him to text back, and it was taking forever. She sighed and put her phone on the nightstand while she went to shower. After she was showered and her hair was dried, she went back to check her phone. He still hadn't texted back. She huffed and went to her closet. She pulled out her white button-up top and denim shorts. She got a green cardigan and a tan scarf. Klaus had really done a number on her neck. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. What he had done was completely unnecessary, and he had no reason to try and kill Bonnie.

She was pulling on her boots when she heard her phone chime. She went to get it and read the message from Elijah.

_Very well. Shall we meet behind the site where the witches were burned? 15 minutes?_

She shook her head and scoffed. _Sounds good to me. See you soon._

She slipped her phone into her pocket and walked out of her room. She grabbed an apple from the kitchen. Bonnie was there, and she looked deep in thought.

"Good morning," Irina said.

Bonnie snapped her head up and smiled. "Good morning. What's up?"

Irina chuckled and sat in the chair next to Bonnie. "Do we need to have tea?" she asked. That was their secret code for 'do we need to talk'.

"No," Bonnie said. "I was just wondering if this would really work."

"What do you mean?" Irina asked.

"Abby does have magic, but the longer she stayed away from us, the more it faded. She's back though. She wants to help," Bonnie explained.

Irina's eyebrows were almost to her hairline. "Oh… wow," she said.

"Yeah, so I'm going to see if it works. Let's just hope," Bonnie said.

Irina nodded. "We need to buy some time though," she said. "We'll distract Klaus."

"Be careful Irina," she said.

"I will. Damon will be there the entire time," Irina said.

Bonnie scoffed. "Since when did Damon become the hero in these situations?" she groaned.

Irina didn't answer. She just laughed and left the house.

* * *

Irina arrived to the meeting spot right on time, but didn't see Elijah anywhere. It wasn't like he had many places to hide- it was a freaking field. She sighed and crossed her arms. Suddenly there was a whoosh of air, and she turned to see him behind her.

"Elijah," she said. "You scared the hell out of me."

"My apologies, Irina. It was not my intention," he said.

She smiled and said; "You clean up nicely. I like your hair like this. It suits you well."

"I got your note," he said, pulling a small piece of paper from his jacket pocket.

Irina sighed. "Dear Elijah, let's get together and plot the destruction of your brother. xoxo…" she quipped.

"Irina," he said disapprovingly.

"Was she right to undagger you?" Damon asked as he appeared behind Irina, causing her to jump.

She glared at him. "Okay, people really need to stop trying to give me a coronary."

"I'm here, so let's talk," Elijah said.

"Let's start with an easy question. Do you have any idea what could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin that I can't open?" Irina asked.

* * *

After a very interesting conversation with Elijah, who seemed to be on their side now, Irina decided to go for a run. She needed to get out her frustrations and clear her head. A run was the way to do that. She slipped on her exercise clothes and sneakers before running around town. She was running through the park when someone fell into step beside her.

"Hey," Caroline said.

"Hey Care! What are you up to?" Irina asked.

Caroline sighed. "Oh nothing much. Just clearing my mind of all things ex-boyfriend related, you?" she asked.

"I'm clearing my mind of anything Original hybrid related," she grumbled.

Caroline laughed and they fell into a comfortable silence. Irina was thinking about their plan. She would join Klaus and Elijah for dinner- with Stefan and Damon present of course- and then they would undagger the siblings. Her thoughts were broken when Caroline stopped dead in her tracks.

Irina walked back to her. "What's up? Why did you stop?" she asked.

"Someone's hurt… bad," she said.

She started walking into the tree line while Irina followed. She made her way to the middle of the woods, before they saw it. There was a man lying on the ground, stabbed in the stomach. They both rushed forward to see that it was Caroline's dad.

"Oh my God," Caroline gasped.

Irina stared down at Bill Forbes' body. His throat had been cut and he had been stabbed in the stomach. Caroline was biting her wrist and sticking it in his mouth. Irina felt his wrist for a pulse, but there wasn't one. She put her ear against his chest, and she couldn't hear a heartbeat.

"Caroline," she said.

"No," Caroline said.

Irina sighed and took Bill's hand in her own. There was nothing- no feeling, no image… nothing. He was dead. "Caroline, listen to me. He's gone," Irina said.

"No, Irina. He's not dead. He can't be dead," Caroline replied.

"Caroline…" Irina began.

"No!" Caroline shrieked. There were tears running down her face, and she looked more upset that Irina could ever remember her looking. "No, he can't be dead. He's not dead, Irina. It's not possible," she said.

"We need to call your mother," Irina said.

Before Irina could dial the number, Bill Forbes gasped in a breath and sat up. He was looking around, disoriented. The two girls jumped back in surprise. "Does this mean that he is in transition?" Caroline asked.

Irina took Bill's hand and closed her eyes. She didn't feel death like she did when she touched a vampire, but it wasn't life like when she touched a human. It was like a fading light.

Irina nodded and said; "I'll leave you two alone to discuss."

* * *

Irina ran back home to change her clothes. She couldn't get the image of Bill Forbes out of her mind. She decided that a hot shower is what she needed, so she showered and dried off before fixing her hair. It still wasn't working, but she felt a bit better now. She left her hair in its natural, loose curls and pulled back the two sides in small braids.

She took out her phone to text Bonnie. _Hey, how's the coffin opening coming along?_

Bonnie texted back as Irina was putting on her lipgloss. _We're doing the best we can. _

_Don't overexert yourself._ Irina replied to her.

_K_. Bonnie answered, and Irina went to her closet to find a suitable outfit for tonight.

She pulled out a teal skirt, and a tanktop with a teal/white pattern on it. She pulled on her leather jacket and heels before adjusting the chain of her locket. She put her white scarf over the bite mark on her neck before putting on her bracelets. She headed out the door and saw Damon waiting for her in front of her house. Apparently she wouldn't be driving.

* * *

They arrived to Klaus' home, which Irina had to admit was beautiful, and Irina knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Elijah- dressed in his suit, as always- and Irina smiled at him.

"Niklaus, our guests have arrived," he announced.

They entered the home to see Niklaus waiting in the dining area. "Damon, Stefan, and Irina… Elijah tells me you seek an audience… very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized individuals, shall we," he said as he gestured to a table set with plates and food.

Irina looked to Elijah- this wasn't in their plan. "It's better to indulge him," Elijah said.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus. In fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told I had to, because you'd hear us out," Stefan said.

"Well, we can sit and eat. Or I can reach down your throat and pull out your insides," Klaus said. "The choice is yours."

Irina sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Stefan. We all know you don't like Klaus. There's no reason to make things awkward," she said.

"See Stefan, Irina seems to have forgiven me," Klaus teased.

Irina scoffed. "I never said that," she quipped. "I simply find it offensive when people die at the dinner table. You know how it is."

Elijah pulled out a chair for her and she thanked him as she sat down. Everyone else sat down as well. Klaus was across the table from her, and Stefan was to her right. Damon was between Klaus and Stefan, while Elijah was to Irina's left. To say that there was tension in the room would have been the understatement of the century.

Irina stared at the food on her plate, while everyone else- excluding Stefan- ate their food. A compelled woman poured red wine in Irina's glass, and she thanked her while keeping her eyes trained on Klaus.

"Have you two lost your appetite? Eat," Klaus said.

"I'll eat when Stefan does," she replied.

Stefan simply shook his head. "I thought we agreed to leave the grumpy Stefan at home," Damon said, which caused Irina to smirk.

She shared a look with Stefan before shrugging, and picked up her fork when he did. They both ate a bite of their food, and Klaus said; "That's the spirit. Isn't this nice; the five of us, sharing a meal together. Is that what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?" he asked, but his attention wasn't focused on Irina, it was focused on Damon.

Irina cleared her throat and said; "Damon didn't undagger Elijah. I did."

"Is that so?" Klaus asked.

"Yes. I figured the more the merrier," she said.

Klaus smirked. "Yes, well… Elijah and I have had our fair share of quarrels over the centuries. But, we make it through," he said.

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan asked. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were too afraid to face her," he said.

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah," Klaus said.

"Hey Stef, remember when you killed dad? Might wanna dial down the judgment 'til dessert," Damon said.

Irina just scoffed incredulously and shook her head as she laid her fork down. "What?" Damon asked.

"You're a good one to talk about killing family, or have you forgotten your "uncle" Zach?" she said, putting air quotes around the word uncle.

They both ignored her and Stefan said; "We're here to make a deal Damon. Doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass for seven courses."

"I'm just saying, we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself," he replied.

* * *

Irina continued pushing the food around on her plate. She wasn't hungry anymore, and this entire situation was making her nervous. Nobody was saying anything, and they weren't discussing a deal at all. She sighed and put her elbow on the table before leaning her head on her hand.

"No elbows on the table, please," Klaus said. He was so obviously trying to get a rise out of her, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

She simply sighed and folded her hands in her lap, while sitting up straighter. "Happy?" she asked with an overly sweet smile on her face.

Klaus didn't say anything. He simply smirked and took a drink of his wine. Elijah cleared his throat and said; "Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?"

"I don't know, ask Damon," Stefan quipped.

Irina furrowed her brows and said; "What's with the hostility?"

Klaus chuckled and said; "Obviously you've been kept out of the loop, Irina. I apologize, Elijah. You've missed so much. Trouble in paradise."

"Oh my God, you kissed Elena?" Irina asked.

Everyone at the table looked at her in shock. "How the hell did you guess that? Nobody said a word about it," Damon said.

"I'm her best friend, Damon. I knew I was getting vibes," she said while shooting him a glare.

"One more word about Elena, and this dinner is over," Stefan said.

Klaus smirked and held his finger to his lips in the 'shh' sign, while Damon said; "Perhaps it's best to just keep Elena in the 'do not discuss' pile."

"You're probably right," Irina grumbled.

"It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger is still so strong. What do you say brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" Klaus asked.

At the name, Irina's head shot to Klaus. The name sounded so familiar, but she didn't know where she had heard it before. Elijah and Klaus looked to Irina and gauged her reaction. "Does that name sound familiar to you, Irina?" Klaus asked.

"I knew her… didn't I?" she asked softly.

"Why do you ask that?" Elijah asked.

Irina sighed. "Rebekah told me what she could about when I was born," she explained.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked.

"Nothing. Continue with what you were saying," Irina answered.

Elijah sighed. "I don't think we should bring up matters long since resolved," he said.

"Well, given their affection for both Katerina and Elena, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line," Klaus said.

"Well, we're not going anywhere Elijah. Please… do tell," Damon said as he lifted his glass.

There was a pause before Elijah began explaining. "When our family first settled here there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she had a child by another man, and none loved her more than Niklaus," he said.

"No, I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much," Klaus said.

"Wait a minute- so you both loved the same girl," Stefan chuckled.

"A girl who looked just like Elena," Irina pointed out.

They were still talking, but Irina wasn't listening. She felt a little pain behind her eyes, but it wasn't as bad as when she got her memories back before. She remembered a young boy with a woman who looked like Elena. She was walking with her son, and Irina was walking behind them with someone. His hair was dark, as were his eyes. He looked kind of like Jeremy in coloring, and his name was… _Ulrich_.

"Ulrich," Irina blurted out in a soft voice.

"Excuse me," Klaus said.

"Her son's name was Ulrich," she said.

Klaus and Elijah shared a look, but thankfully Elijah changed the subject. "So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of our proposal," he said.

Stefan and Damon were still looking at Irina with concerned expressions, but Damon said; "Well, it's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he- and the original extended family- leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever after… no grudges. "

"Deal sounds fair, doesn't it brother?" Elijah said.

"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those who oppose me. I will never leave her behind," Klaus said, looking at Stefan. After a short pause, he stood and said; "Let's say I do leave her here under your protection. How long until one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one who can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is the two of you."

"I'm going to get some air," Damon said.

Irina stood and said; "And I am going to leave, and not even pretend that I'm okay with the fact that you are discussing my friend's life behind her back."

* * *

Irina arrived to the room where the coffins were being held. Elijah and Damon were right behind her, and Elijah handed her a small bundle of herbs and she looked confused. "What's this?" she asked.

"Sage," he said quietly before handing her a paper with a spell on it. "It will spell the room for silence."

"Oh," she said. She used her magic to light the sage on fire, and placed it in a bowl before chanting the words on the page. Afterwards, Damon went to stand outside, and he confirmed that he couldn't hear anything.

"Okay, so I was looking through my grimoire earlier and I found something that might speed up their revival," Irina said.

Elijah nodded and Damon said; "Okay, let's get this show on the road."

They each went to a coffin. Elijah was at Rebekah's coffin, and Irina was at the middle one who Elijah introduced as Kol. Damon was prepared to undagger Finn. "Okay… One, two three," Irina said and they all removed the daggers with ease.

"We must return, but we'll tell Klaus that Irina went home," Elijah said.

Irina nodded. "If he asks why, tell him I got a headache. That happens when I get a memory back," she said, mumbling the last part.

* * *

It had been fifteen minutes, and Rebekah was already beginning to turn her normal color again. Kol's hand was beginning to turn its normal color as well, but Finn was still taking some time- probably because he was daggered for so long. She closed her eyes and began muttering the spell beneath her breath. It should bring them back to life quicker. She didn't have to use it on Rebekah though.

Rebekah gasped and sat up straight. She looked at her surroundings with a confused expression. "Irina," she breathed.

"Rebekah…" Irina said cautiously.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm helping Elijah. How do you feel about a little family reunion?" Irina replied.

Rebekah smirked, and Irina knew she was on board. She told Rebekah the plan, and Rebekah agreed to help should Irina need it. For the second part of the spell, Irina would need to offer up her wrist like she did for Jenna after the sacrifice. It might not be so good if one of them drained her dry.

"By the way," Irina began, "there are blood bags in the cooler over there." She pointed to the corner of the room.

She took a letter opener from the desk and used it to cut a shallow line on her wrist. She pressed it to Kol's mouth before chanting in Latin. _Vivicabit cito immortui…_The apricot color of Kol's skin spread throughout his body, and Rebekah came to stand beside Irina with a bloodbag in her hand. Kol's eyes shot open, and he looked to Irina. When she tried removing her wrist, he grabbed her arm, but Rebekah made him let go.

"Rebekah…" he said. "What in hell are you wearing?"

"Wait until Finn wakes and I'll let you know how long you've been asleep," she said.

Irina walked to Finn and did the same thing. She pressed her wrist to his mouth and began chanting the words. "What the bloody hell is she doing?" Kol asked.

"I'm speeding up the waking up process," Irina explained.

The color quickly returned to Finn's body, and he began drinking from her. His eyes shot open, and he let go of her wrist. He removed himself from the coffin, and smiled when he saw Rebekah and Kol.

"Brother, it's good to see you among the living again," Kol teased.

"What is going on? And why is our sister dressed like a strumpet?" Finn asked.

Irina giggled and Rebekah scoffed. Irina decided to fade into the background until their family reunion was over. She nervously fiddled with her locket, and didn't notice as the motion caught Kol's eye.

* * *

Kol was awake. Finally, after being in that bloody coffin for an indiscernible amount of time, he was awake. Nik would be getting it this time. He felt something warm dripping down his throat, and the euphoric taste of blood followed. He greedily drank, and opened his eyes. At first, he thought it was Aoife staring back at him, but upon closer inspection he knew it wasn't her. That was impossible, no matter how sad that thought was.

His food source had the audacity to try and pull away, but he held her in place. Then, Rebekah- whom he hadn't noticed before- was there to stop him. She smiled at the young brunette and Kol sat up. He watched as she moved to Finn and began doing the same thing. She was a witch… of course. Finn was awake, and he walked over to hug both Kol and Rebekah. He was still dressed in his clothing from the twelfth century.

Kol was still dressed in his late nineteenth century clothing, and he didn't know what century they were in now. Rebekah was explaining something about Elijah or something, but he noticed the necklace she was wearing. Her hand fell from the necklace and she began fussing with the wound on her wrist, and he caught sight of the locket she was wearing. His eyes widened and he couldn't stop staring at it. Rebekah noticed, and followed his line of sight to the locket.

She turned and shook her head at him. "She doesn't know yet, Kol," Rebekah said.

No… this isn't her. She's supposed to be a little girl- this girl was all grown up. But she looked so much like Aoife, and her eyes were so much like Nik's. Rebekah walked to her and pulled her over to their group.

"Finn, Kol… this is Irina," she said.

Finn's eyes widened and he said; "You mean…"

"Yes, Finn, but she doesn't know yet," Rebekah warned.

"But you're more than welcome to tell me!" Irina said. Kol chuckled at her attempt.

Before anyone else could say anything, Rebekah noticed Irina's scarf. She tugged at it, but Irina moved out of the way. "Irina, who did this?" she asked.

"It's nothing… Klaus is an ass, that's all," Irina said.

Rebekah's eyes widened. "He bit you!" she said.

Irina shrugged and Elijah came into the room with Damon. They explained to the other three Originals what was going on, and apparently Kol and Finn were still enraged about being daggered for so long. However, when Elijah told them how Klaus killed their mother, Irina wanted to run and hide because of the expressions on their faces. Elijah told them to wait until he announced that they were awake before taking their anger out on Klaus.

"Now let's go before he barbeques my brother," Damon said, taking Irina's hand.

"Wait… what?" Irina asked.

* * *

Irina and Damon walked in front of them with Elijah and the three of them followed. They walked into the dining area with a compelled servant girl carrying a tray with the daggers on it.

"Elijah," Klaus said. "Why haven't you left?"

"Well, where are your manners, brother? You forgot dessert," Elijah said, removing the cloth covering the daggers on the tray.

"What have you done?" Klaus asked.

Elijah replied saying; "What have _you_ done? See, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now."

Kol appeared behind Irina, and carefully stepped around her. It was the first time she saw Klaus look frightened of anything.

"Kol…" he said, with his hands raised in a peaceful gesture.

"Long time brother," Kol said.

Before Kol could do anything, Finn appeared in front of Klaus with a dagger. "Finn, don't…" Klaus said.

Finn stabbed Klaus in the hand with a dagger, causing Klaus to scream out. He tried to flash away, but Rebekah was behind him with a dagger in her hand as well. She stabbed him in the stomach with the dagger and said; "This is for our mother!"

"You're free to go," Elijah said. "This is family business."

Damon nodded in the direction of the door, and Stefan took Irina's hand to lead her outside. Once they were outside, Irina opened the back door and got in. Before she shut the door, she cringed as she heard Klaus cry out. She could only imagine what they were doing to him. She blocked that thought out of her mind and called Caroline to see how she was doing.

* * *

Klaus leaned on the edge of the table, sulking. His siblings were officially awake, and hating him. This was not going as planned. They were supposed to be together forever, once he got that coffin back. He could ensure their safety now, but they didn't understand. He had done this for them. After tons of daggering, mostly by Kol and Rebekah, they finally got it out of their system.

"I like what you've done with the place, Nik," Rebekah said before picking up a vase and throwing it at a portrait.

"I wanted it to be for all of us," he whispered. "A place we could all call home; a place we could be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again."

"Well you're right. None of us will be," Elijah said.

"You're staying behind," Finn said.

"We're leaving you, Nik," Rebekah continued. "Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, and you will be alone. Always and forever."

Klaus smirked. "I won't be alone. Irina will get her memories back and come to my side," he said.

"Are you sure? Because according to her you've tried to kill her multiple times over the last few months," Elijah said.

"You tried to kill Irina!" Kol shouted.

"Not directly, no," Klaus replied.

"Nik," Rebekah began, "she won't come to your side. You're not the same at all, and she'll see that. She would come with us before you."

"If you run, I will hunt all of you down," Klaus threatened.

"And then you'll become the thing you hate most… our father," Elijah said.

"I'm the hybrid!" Klaus shouted. "I can't be killed! I have nothing to fear from any of you."

"You will when we have that coffin," Elijah said.

Klaus knew his eyes were widening, but he didn't stop the emotion from flickering across his face. Suddenly, the door opened and someone walked in. He was prepared to kill whomever made the bad decision to enter his home, but he stopped when he saw who it was. Esther… his mother, the one he killed… walked in wearing the same clothing she was when she was buried.

"Mother," Rebekah breathed.

Esther ignored everyone but Niklaus, and went directly to him. She stood right in front of him, but he could not meet her eyes. Even though he had spent a thousand years convincing himself what he did was justified, he still felt terrible for it. In the end it hadn't brought Irina back to him any sooner.

"Look at me," she ordered in a sharp tone. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"You're here to kill me," Klaus said.

"Niklaus, you are my son, and I am here to forgive you," she said.

He couldn't believe it… no, it wasn't possible. She couldn't forgive him- not after what he did. But he wanted to believe it. For so long he hadn't had his mother, and for so long he wanted to hear her voice. Yes, he was angry at her, but she was still his mother.

"I want us to be a family again," she said.

Kol cleared his throat and said; "What of Irina?"

"Irina's memories will be returned to her, once I am assured that this town will live in peace with us. Until there is no more danger for her, I will not give her memories back," Esther explained.


	30. closer

**AN; Thanks for the birthday wishes! :D I am so happy you're all loving this story. The memories are so close, I can practically taste it! Also, I'm very sorry to do this, but I'm changing Irina's model again. Yep, I'm indecisive. Her new model is Sarah Bolger (mostly during her teen years.) Also, I'm planning into the future. Would anyone be opposed to time travel? (It's already somewhat planned, but I'm not sure if I'll change it. We'll see.) How about a bad guy other than Silas? (When I first wrote this story, season 4 was JUST starting, so I knew nothing of Silas and I tried to write him in later on, but I didn't know much about him then either. That led to the story getting deleted because I couldn't finish it.) So, I'm thinking of going with a completely different baddie...**

* * *

This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill  
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will  
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain  
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

- Remember the Name by Fort Minor

* * *

Irina walked to her locker, wondering if Jeremy would ever come back. She woke up thinking about him this morning, but she couldn't reach him on his cellphone- probably because they were in a different time zone. She put her bag in her locker and got her books out. She was exhausted, and she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. She was too worried about Bonnie and Abby- they had both been knocked out somehow.

They also gave some interesting news. The woman in the coffin was Esther, the Original's mother and the Original witch, and somehow she was back. It all made Irina's head hurt, so she didn't think about it. She closed her locker and turned to walk to class before colliding with someone's chest. She looked up to see Sam smirking at her.

"Ugh, seriously?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said. "I have my orders, so I'm enrolled here now."

"Why don't you turn around and go tell your little master that I said he could go to hell, and take you with him," she replied.

"Come on, Irina, don't be like that," Sam said.

"Really? How should I be, hmm? Should I be happy and begging you to get back together with me?" she asked.

His expression became sarcastic and he said; "Well it wouldn't be the first time."

She brought her hand across his face, but she forgot that it wouldn't hurt him. "Seriously?" he asked.

"Leave. Me. Alone," he said in a firm tone.

He opened his mouth to reply, but someone cleared their throat from behind the two. They turned to see Rebekah and… is that Kol?

"So, what's going on here?" Kol asked.

Irina rolled her eyes. "You're brother's little _bitch_ won't leave me alone," she grumbled.

Rebekah smirked at Kol and said; "Sam, come with me for a moment, would you?"

"Klaus said I'm supposed to be protecting Irina," Sam replied.

"Well, you've done a great job so far, but I'll take it from here," Kol said.

Rebekah practically pulled Sam away from Irina and she scoffed and shook her head. She bent down to pick up her books that dropped when she bumped into Sam, and Kol bent down to help her.

As Irina stood she said; "So, what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd enroll and see what great opportunities this institution has to offer," he said.

Irina laughed. Kol was actually funny- who knew. "Well, that's… great, I guess," she said.

"So, what's your first class?" he asked.

"History," she replied.

"Mine too. Care to show me where it is?" Kol inquired.

She looked at her watch and said; "Yes, but I'm using you as an excuse since we're already five minutes late."

"Sometimes is good to be fashionably late," he quipped.

They arrived to Alaric's classroom and walked in, where Alaric was lecturing about Isaac Newton. He stopped and smiled to Irina. "Miss Bennett, how nice of you to join us," he said.

"Sorry Mr. Saltzman. I was just showing the new kid around," she said.

He seemed to notice Kol, and said; "Oh, well, welcome mister…"

"Miklaelson- Kol Mikaelson," he said.

"Well, take a seat anywhere Kol," he said.

Irina took her seat between Bonnie and Elena, and noticed their eyes following Kol everywhere. He went to sit behind Irina. Bonnie couldn't stop staring, and Irina tapped her on the shoulder. She snapped out of it, and turned to her sister with a sheepish expression. She leaned in to Irina to whisper something.

"I just remembered something about Esther," she said, low enough that nobody would hear.

"What?" Irina asked with a confused expression.

"Do you remember when the Martin witches took my powers?" she asked.

"Yeah," Irina replied.

"She was the one who possessed you so she could go speak with them and make them give my powers back. She said she was an ancestor," Bonnie said.

Irina shook her head. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, but we should probably go say thank you now that she's among the living. I mean, she really did help us out," Bonnie said.

Irina nodded and said; "Okay, we'll go after school I guess. Oh, and Sam is back."

Bonnie's eyes widened and she said; "What! Ugh, should I get Matt to kick his ass again?"

"I don't think that would work out too well. He's a hybrid now," Irina said.

"How?" Bonnie asked.

"His mother was a Lockwood," Irina said, and that was the only explanation Bonnie needed. "Also, Klaus has assigned him to protect me."

"The irony of that is painful," Bonnie said.

They didn't pay attention to Kol who was hanging on their every word. They simply turned their attention back to the lecture and began taking notes.

* * *

Kol knew something was up with this Sam guy, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, he didn't have the next class with Irina. He walked in to the math class, which he was seriously hoping he wouldn't have to attend every day for the rest of the year, and saw the lovely Bonnie Bennett sitting in the back by herself. She oozed power, and he liked that. He went to sit next to her and she looked up.

"Hi," she said.

"Hello… Bonnie, right?" he asked.

She smiled a dazzling smile and said; "Yeah. You're Kol Mikaelson, right?"

"That would be me," he said, before continuing with; "If you don't mind me asking, why are you sitting all by yourself?"

She smirked and said; "The back of the classroom is for the students who don't get math, and like to use this class as nap time."

"Well, someone is breaking the rules," he teased.

She blushed and looked down. "Who needs rules?" she asked.

The teacher walked in and commanded everyone's attention to the front. After a few moments, he was lecturing with his back turned to the class, and Kol had an opportunity to talk to Bonnie again.

"So, I wanted to ask you something," Kol whispered.

She looked to him and said; "What?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me more about that Sam guy- you know, Irina's hybrid friend," Kol said.

Bonnie's eyes widened. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.

He gave her a look and said; "Seriously? Please don't play dumb… it doesn't suit you."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but not here, okay?" she said.

"Where?" he asked.

"We have lunch next. I'll tell you then," she answered.

* * *

Kol followed Bonnie to a lunch table, and sat across from her. She had a tray with what appeared to be food, but it didn't smell like it. She sighed and looked to him.

"Okay, first… how long have you been a vampire?" she asked.

He smirked. "Quite some time," he said.

She gave him a look that said _seriously_, but then a look of surprise overcame her features. "Wait a minute," she said. "Mikaelson… 'Mikael's son'… you're an Original!"

"Well aren't you a smart one," he said. He was surprised she'd figured it out that quickly. He was beginning to like her. "So, are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

She sighed. "Yes, but not because I trust you," she said.

"Then, why are you telling me?" he asked.

"Because according to Irina, your family knew her family, or something like that. Apparently Klaus wants to protect her or something, and I'm hoping you want the same thing," Bonnie said.

"It's true, we do want to protect her," Kol said.

Bonnie smirked. "Good. So, what do you want to know about Sam?" she asked.

"Why does Irina seem to hate him so much?" he asked.

"They used to date," Bonnie replied.

He looked confused. "Is that like courting?" he asked.

She giggled- and it was actually a cute sound- and said; "Yeah, something like that. Anyway, they dated for a year and then he cheated on her. She ended it, but he came crawling back. She blamed herself for his cheating ways because the other girl put out, but Irina wouldn't."

"Put out?" Kol asked.

"The other girl was a skank who had sex with everyone, but Irina didn't do that. She wanted to wait for someone she loved. However, she thought that because she didn't put out, he cheated. So, she got back together with him. We all tried warning her, but she is stubborn," Bonnie said.

"So she slept with him?" Kol asked, anger building inside of him.

Bonnie sighed. "Yes, she did. I'm sure she regrets it to this day, but that's not why she hates him the most. After they got back together, Sam became very possessive. He tried to make her cut ties with all of her friends, and got jealous when she spent time with Matt or Tyler- even though neither one of them had romantic feelings towards her," she said.

"So she hates him because he was possessive," Kol said.

"No," Bonnie said. "Well, maybe that's part of it. But one night Sam got really drunk at his house, and Irina was trying to give him space. She was at the grill with us, and she was hanging out with Matt and Tyler. He called her and she went to him to see what was wrong, and I guess because of his werewolf temper, he just lost it."

Kol's expression darkened and he could tell Bonnie was getting nervous. He tried to calm himself, but it wasn't working. "Then what happened?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I don't know for sure what happened, because she never told me the entire story. All I know is that she had a black eye for a while, and then Tyler and Matt kicked his ass and he moved out of town," she finished.

"So he hit Irina?" Kol asked.

"Yes," Bonnie said.

Kol was up in an instant. He would find Sam and he would drag him to Klaus and make the stupid boy explain himself. No matter what Klaus was, Kol knew he was a father to Irina first-and-foremost. This boy would not be here for much longer if he had any say in the matter, and he smirked to himself as he thought of what Klaus would do.

He went to find Irina to make sure what Bonnie said was true, and he found her on the football field with a bunch of other girls. Okay, he was seriously going to like high school. The other girls were wearing the shortest trousers he'd ever seen, and their tops barely covered anything. However, he didn't think Irina should be wearing such attire. He watched as she took command over the rest of the girls.

"Okay, everyone!" she said to get their attention. "Caroline isn't here today, and she put me in charge, so get in formation."

"What routine are we doing first?" Rebekah asked, walking past Irina to join the others. Kol just rolled his eyes.

"We're working on our jumps and stunts today. Okay, ready!" she said loudly.

* * *

By the time their practice was over, Kol had a headache. He didn't understand how so much could change in such a short amount of time. If girls had dressed like that in the early twentieth century, they'd be labeled a whore and outcast. Now, they were the popular ones. It was enough to give someone a complex.

He caught Irina as she was exiting the locker rooms. Apparently schools had showers, which Kol thought was a bit odd, but he put that thought from his mind.

"Irina," he said.

"Oh, hey Kol," she replied.

He smiled at her casual response and said; "So… what's the deal with you and that Sam person?"

She froze for a moment before chuckling nervously and saying; "What makes you think something is up? I just don't like him."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Really?" he asked. She nodded and he said; "I hope you know, I can practically smell your lie. It's that obvious."

He walked off and went back to the mansion to tell Niklaus of his recent discoveries.

* * *

When Kol arrived home after school, Klaus was nowhere to be found. However, there were several seamstresses and tailors there, and Rebekah was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. Apparently their mother was hosting a ball. She wanted to discuss peace between the town and their family. Kol didn't exactly want peace, but no matter how old he was he wouldn't go against his mother so directly. There was a part of him that still respected her.

Kol stayed and got fitted for a tuxedo, just as his mother wished, and was happy to see Finn with a new hairdo. When the tailor was finally finished with his tux, Kol took a look in the mirror.

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I look," he said.

"Oh, Kol; You know I can't be compelled," Rebekah replied, causing Finn to grin at her.

At that moment, Klaus came in the room with a murderous expression. "Rebekah, you snapped my hybrid's neck! What is wrong with you?" he said.

"Here we go," she said sarcastically.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" he asked.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?" he asked.

"Oh go back to staring at yourself," Klaus quipped.

Kol raised his eyebrows. "Okay… I won't tell you a secret about your hybrid, then," he said.

"What in bloody hell are you talking about?" Klaus asked.

"Yes Kol, if you have a story, please share," Rebekah said.

"He used to date Irina," Kol said.

Klaus rolled his eyes- obviously this was old news to him. Finn looked confused. "What do shriveled prunes have to do with this?" he asked.

Rebekah giggled, and said; "It's like courting, Finn."

"You consented for her to court him?" Finn asked Klaus.

"No, I didn't know Irina was alive at the time she was _dating_ him. Like I told you, I only recently found her myself," he said.

"Can we get back to my story, please?" Kol asked.

"Yes Kol, I am interested to see where this is going," Esther said, coming to sit by Rebekah.

Kol sighed. "So, I did some digging after I found this out, and look what was on file at city hall," he said, pulling out some papers from his bag.

"What is it?" Elijah asked, moving to see the documents.

"Assault and battery charges… against one Samuel Fell of Mystic Falls," Kol said.

"Who pressed the charges?" Rebekah asked.

"A Miss Irina Bennett, of Mystic Falls, Virginia," Kol said.

Everyone was shocked, except for Finn and Esther, who didn't understand the legal terms of this time. "What does that mean?" Finn asked.

"It means I have a hybrid to kill," Klaus said as he made his way to the front door.

* * *

Klaus was furious, and all he could see was red. How dare that boy lay a hand on his Irina? His daughter was not a punching bag to be hit on whenever he pleased. He had perfected the art of torture over the years, but they had a ball to plan and Klaus honestly didn't want to waste his fine skills on a boy who didn't deserve the honor of his torture. He found Sam talking to Irina by the pool table at the Grill. Bonnie and Matt were there, and Matt was trying to be strong and stick up for Irina, but he didn't stand a chance against a hybrid's strength.

Klaus walked over to them and cleared his throat. Irina looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Klaus, fancy meeting you here. Can you tell your little bitch to heal, please?" she asked.

"Language, Irina," he chided. She rolled her eyes, but the other two seemed to sense Klaus' anger.

"Irina, we should get home," said Bonnie.

"Yeah, I guess we should," Irina said. She had to have noticed how Klaus' eyes didn't stray from the hybrid he was furious at.

Once they were out of the building, Klaus clapped his hand on the other hybrid's shoulder, and it actually caused Sam to wince. "Mister Fell, let's have a little drink," he said.

"O-kay…" he said nervously. _Good_ thought Klaus.

The grill was almost empty. It wasn't rush hour yet, and the only other customers were Damon and Alaric at the bar. He smirked and turned to Sam who looked wary of the older hybrid. Klaus sighed and walked up to get two whiskeys from the bar. He walked back and handed one of them to Sam.

"So, Sam… I think it's time we had a bit of a chat," Klaus began.

Sam didn't reply, but simply nodded his head. Klaus turned up the glass of whiskey and downed the contents, and he saw Sam silently looking at his glass.

"Well, what are you waiting for Mister Fell? Drink…" he commanded.

Sam cleared his throat and said; "I don't really drink anymore. I haven't for quite some time."

Klaus just stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Why is that?" he asked. His vampire hearing allowed him to hear Damon's snarky remark. _I hear that it's because the last time he drank his girlfriend got a black eye, and he got his ass kicked by Tyler and Matt…_

Sam stiffened and narrowed his eyes at the raven haired vampire at the bar, who hadn't even bothered to turn around and look at them. Alaric glanced backwards with a confused look, before turning the same confused expression towards his drinking buddy. Klaus heard Damon say that he'd explain later, and returned his attention back to the hybrid.

"Well, why aren't you drinking?" he asked.

"I just… don't drink anymore," Sam replied.

"Is Damon telling the truth?" Klaus asked.

Sam still looked nervous, but he tried to play it off. "Psh… no way," he said.

"Hmm…" Klaus mused. This boy was infuriatingly stupid if he thought Klaus couldn't detect a lie. Sure, he didn't have the skill for it like Rebekah or Irina, but he had lived long enough to tell when someone was lying. "You see, I might believe that… if it weren't for the fact that I have someone else to confirm that claim," he said.

"Look, I didn't do anything wrong, okay. That was the drunk me, and I don't drink anymore," Sam said.

"So you confirm that you did it," Klaus said.

Sam paused for a moment, and said; "Um…"

"Now Samuel, why do you think it's a good idea to lie to me?" Klaus asked.

"Look, that's all in the past. I don't know why it even matters now," Sam said.

Klaus was growing tired of this game. He just wanted bloodshed. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know what, maybe it doesn't," he lied. "But, in any case, I want you to make it right."

"How am I supposed to do that? I've tried apologizing multiple times, but she's stubborn. She won't listen, and she'll just tell me to go to hell, or something worse. Or, she'll set my brain on fire again… did you know she's a witch?" Sam rambled.

Klaus looked him in the eye and began compelling him. _I want you to go to Irina and give her a truthful apology, and then I want you to take this stake and stab it through your heart as soon as she accepts said apology. Do not fail me. _Klaus said, handing Sam a very intricately carved stake.

"But, I'll die," Sam said, still in his trance.

_But it's the only way to make things right…_ Klaus continued.

"It's the only way to make it right," Sam said.

Klaus smirked and said. "Good. I'm glad we had this conversation. Also, if you tell anyone of this, I will make your death infinitely more painful, and I'll let my brothers join in… possibly Rebekah as well. She's always been excellent at torture."

"Why are you doing this?" Sam asked as Klaus stood from his seat.

"Perhaps it will teach people to think twice before messing with my family," Klaus said before flashing out of the grill, leaving a confused looking Damon behind.

* * *

Kol walked up to the front door of the Bennett residence. He listened as Irina and Bonnie, who was apparently her sister now, laughed at something on the modern contraption called a _television_. This time had such strange technology, but he had found it quite amusing to watch Finn struggle with the concept of a telephone. He listened to the two girls' conversation.

_You know, we never did go to thank Esther,_ Bonnie said.

_Oh my gosh, I completely forgot. Now I feel awful .She totally helped us out… we need to at least say thank you, _Irina replied.

Kol smirked. She got her kindness from her mother, apparently. He was about to knock on the door when their conversation continued.

_There is something that's been bothering me about when she possessed you…_ Bonnie said. Kol furrowed his brows as he listened.

_What is it?_ Irina asked.

Bonnie sighed. _It's not like a… bad thing. It's just strange. I can't make sense of it,_ she said.

_Bonnie…_ Irina whined, causing a small smile to play on Kol's lips.

_She said she was an ancestor of yours. I don't think I was supposed to tell you, but I guess it's okay to know now_, Bonnie said.

Kol didn't know what to do, but he couldn't allow the conversation to continue. She couldn't figure it out before she got her memories back. He did the only thing he could think of… he knocked on the door. He heard Bonnie claim that she would answer the door, and he smiled. She certainly was a pretty little thing, and he always had a thing for witches.

She opened the door, but froze when she saw it was him. He smiled his most charming smile and said; "Miss Bennett…"

"Uh, hello. How did you know where we lived?" she asked.

"I'm an Original, darling. I can find things out," he said. "But, my intents are not malicious."

"Then why are you here?" Irina asked as she came to stand beside Bonnie. He could see how they were sisters, although they didn't look related. There was a certain air about them that let you know they were sisters.

Kol cleared his throat. "I am here to hand-deliver these," he said, producing two envelopes from his coat pocket.

Both girls reached for them with suspicious looks on their faces. They both went to open them, but were stopped by another voice before they could.

* * *

Irina took the envelope from Kol's hand. What was in it and why did it need to be hand-delivered. Didn't they have people to do that for them? She slid her fingernail under the seal, preparing to open it, when someone else said her name. She looked past Kol to see Sam standing there.

"Ugh…" Bonnie said, causing Irina to smirk. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need to speak with Irina," he said. His voice sounded thick, as though he had been crying.

Irina sighed. "Well, I'm right here. Speak," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry for what- being here?" she asked.

"No, I'm sorry for what I did. I know that no amount of apologizing will ever make it better, but I know what I did was wrong, and I apologize with my entire heart. I will make it my life's goal to earn your forgiveness," he said.

"Well, that's very sweet," Kol snipped, "but you should probably leave now."

"I can't leave until I earn her forgiveness," Sam said.

Irina noticed something 'click' in Kol's mind and she saw him smile wryly. She didn't know what he was up to, but she didn't want to find out. So, for the sake of Sam's health, she said; "I forgive you, Sam."

"What? No way in hell, Irina," Bonnie said.

"Yes… I forgive you. I'm not going to be angry every time I see you, so I forgive you," Irina said.

Sam sighed, and Irina thought she saw tears in his eyes. "It has been set right," he said as he pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a… stake!

"What is he doing?" Bonnie murmured.

"What he's been told to do," Kol said nonchalantly.

They watched in horror as he raised the stake and plunged it into his chest at inhuman speed. Bonnie gasped and Irina's voice made a slight squeaking sound, but they said nothing. Blood splattered everywhere, and Kol, Bonnie, and Irina had to jump back to avoid getting it on them. Irina felt like vomiting.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped. She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat before turning and walking to her room.

Bonnie sighed as she looked down at the greying body of Samuel Fell. "Did Klaus do this?" she asked.

"Most likely," Kol said.

"Why?" she asked.

Kol sighed. "It's complicated, and I can't reveal anything until Irina's memories are back. But… let's just say that we consider her family, and leave it at that," he said.

Bonnie looked completely confused, but she left it at that. She looked at the body once more in disgust and crossed her arms before lightly kicking the body's foot. "Since it was your brother's doing, you get to dispose of it. Have fun," she said before walking back inside.


	31. family

**AN; I am loving this song you guys. Are you getting excited for a memory reveal? I sure am! Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who is reviewing! It really means so much to me, you guys. I thought I'd give you another update today, since I love updating and Allie asked! haha. (Allie, you're AWESOME!)**

* * *

Every night, I dream you're still here.  
The ghost by my side, so perfectly clear.  
When I awake, you'll disappear,  
Back to the shadows  
With all I hold dear.

- Still Here by Digital Daggers

* * *

Irina sat on her bed trying to process what had just happened. Yes, Sam was a complete ass, and he had definitely pissed her off. She was even sure that she wanted to cause him some form of bodily harm at some point, but death… she didn't want him to die. She would never forgive him for hitting her in the face, but she didn't wish death upon anyone. She didn't know how to feel about this. It was times like this when she just wanted a hug from Jeremy.

There was a knock on her door. _Irina, are you okay?_ she heard Bonnie ask.

"I'm fine," she called back.

She heard Bonnie sigh, and she knew her sister was walking away while shaking her head. She waited until she heard Bonnie's door close before falling back on her bed. A single tear trailed down her cheek, and she wiped it away in confusion. She should not be crying over him! She needed to call Jeremy. She reached for her phone- not even bothering to sit up to get it- and dialed his number.

_Hello…_ Jeremy said.

Irina sighed contentedly at hearing his voice. "Jeremy…" she said.

_Irina! I was just about to call you… _he replied.

"Really? Is everything okay?" she asked.

_Totally. I just wanted to tell you that I made the baseball team at my new school…_ he explained.

"That's great Jer. I miss you," she said.

_I miss you too…_ he said before taking a pause. _Hey, maybe you can come visit or something. I would really like to continue that night we had before I moved…_ he finished.

Irina giggled and felt relieved that he could make her feel better. "I'd like that, Jeremy. I miss you," she said.

_I miss you too. Oh, crap. Practice is about to start. I'll call you later…_ he said.

"Sure Jer. Hit some homeruns for me!" she said.

He chuckled. _I'll try…_ he said. He paused for a moment, and Irina thought he had hung up. She was about to press end when he cleared his throat on the other end. _I love you, Irina…_ he said.

She smiled to herself. "I love you too, Jeremy. Bye," she said.

_Bye…_

* * *

Irina and Bonnie were digging through their closets to find something for the ball, but they had absolutely nothing. It turns out the envelopes had been holding very pretty invitations, however Irina didn't even have time to make a dress- the ball was tomorrow. She huffed and threw her hands up.

"Bonnie, this is pointless. We'll have to go shopping," Irina said.

"Do we have time?" she asked.

"Yeah. We'll just blow off school today," Irina replied.

Bonnie looked at her incredulously and said; "Seriously? They're going to kick us out if we don't stop skipping."

Irina laughed and said; "Maybe we'll get Kol to use compulsion on them for us."

"You and Kol are kind of close," Bonnie said.

Irina paused to think about it. "I just feel like I've always known him. I don't know why, but it's like he's an old friend. It's… odd," she said.

Bonnie just smiled and teased her, saying; "Could you have met them before?" Irina froze and Bonnie noticed immediately. Irina supposed she _had_ met him before, according to Rebekah, but she didn't remember it. "Irina… what aren't you telling me?" she asked.

_Crap_. Bonnie knew her too well, sometimes. "Um… I have to tell you something," she said.

"Okay…" Bonnie said, taking a seat.

Irina sat in front of her on the bed and said; "Okay, so Rebekah told me something about my history. She couldn't tell me everything, but she told me enough."

"What did she say?" Bonnie asked.

"She told me that my mother's family were best friends with theirs… a thousand years ago," Irina said.

Bonnie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "What?" she whispered.

"She said that I was born a thousand years ago, and they accepted me like their own family. That's why Klaus hasn't killed me yet," she said.

"Oh my gosh," Bonnie breathed. "It makes so much sense."

"It does? It took me weeks to accept it," Irina said.

Bonnie smiled a small smile and explained. "When you were away with Klaus, a woman would always come to me in my dreams and assure me that you were okay. I talked to everyone in our group about it, and they said that the same thing happened to them. It freaked Damon out," she said, adding a laugh at the last part.

Irina laughed at the last sentence and said; "Who was she?"

"She said she was your mother. Whenever we would dream, we would always be in clothing from a thousand years ago- and just so you know, my hair looks _amazing_ when it's super long. But anyway, she was very kind and I did see the resemblance. I definitely believed she was your mother," Bonnie said.

"Oh…" Irina replied.

Bonnie sighed. "But, that doesn't change a thing. I want you to know that. You'll get your memories back, and you'll find your father, but it won't matter because we'll always be sisters- no matter what," she said.

Irina smiled and a few tears came to her eyes. "It's nice to know that I can always count on you," she said.

They hugged and the mushy moment was over. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door. Irina and Bonnie both shared a confused look and went to answer it.

* * *

When Bonnie opened the door, Irina was surprised at who she saw. "Finn?" she asked.

"Hello Irina… Miss Bennett," he said politely.

Bonnie smiled. "It's Bonnie," she replied.

He gave her a small smile and nodded his head while Irina sighed. "You know, between you and the Salvatore brothers, I'm beginning to long for the days of gentlemanly ways," she said to Bonnie.

They shared a laugh, and Finn's smile widened. "I hope I'm not imposing, but my mother and I wanted to know if you would like to join us for lunch. I believe the restaurant is called the Grill…" he said, ending in a confused tone.

"Did Klaus leave you to your own devices?" Irina asked.

Finn chuckled and said; "I'm afraid so. The truth is, I do not understand this time at all- though the advancement of the human race fascinates me."

Irina smiled and looked to Bonnie. "Do you want to go?" she asked.

"I don't know…" Bonnie said in a wary tone.

"We still have to thank Esther, anyway. Why not do it during lunch?" Irina asked.

Bonnie looked at her and then sighed. "Why not?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Excellent," Finn said. "You can explain to us what is pleasing to the palette," he said.

Irina and Bonnie giggled before leading Finn to their car.

* * *

When they arrived at the Grill, Irina noticed that the entire Original family seemed to be there as well. It really wasn't unusual, though- it was practically the _only_ restaurant in town, and it was lunch time. But, Irina was happy to see that it wasn't crowded with kids from school… yet. She smiled and hooked her arm through Bonnies before leading them to the table that her and Bonnie always seemed to sit at.

She looked to the bar and saw Klaus sitting by Kol. _Shouldn't he be at school_ she thought, but then again, she didn't think Kol was one to follow the attendance policy. Elijah was speaking to the mayor and sheriff about something, and Rebekah was nowhere to be found. _At least someone is following the school rules,_ Irina thought with a chuckle.

The Originals' weren't the only vampires here, though. Damon was drinking- obviously- and Stefan was speaking to him quite animatedly. Damon didn't seem too interested. Bonnie noticed Damon's attitude, and looked to Irina before rolling her eyes. Irina smiled at her sister.

They sat and looked over the lunch menus. "So, I'm not accustomed to food of this time. What's good?" Esther asked.

It was so odd to see her sitting in a booth at a small town restaurant. She just seemed so… powerful, and she had this regal quality about her. It demanded respect, and yet here she was just ordering a burger for lunch at the Mystic Grill.

"It depends on what you like," Bonnie said.

"We normally just order salads," Irina explained.

The other two looked confused and Finn asked; "What is a salad?"

Bonnie took time to explain what a salad was, and what burgers were, and then pizza. It was a long time before we finally ordered, but they finally settled on pizza. It was a pretty bold move on their part, considering the time and culture they lived in didn't _have_ pizza. The pizza came and they ate in comfortable- yet strange- silence.

After they had eaten most of their lunch, Bonnie successfully initiated conversation. "So, I wanted to say thank you- again," she said.

"Oh yeah! We meant to come by and see you sooner to thank you for your help with the Martin witches," Irina added.

Esther smiled and said; "It really was no trouble. I assume they heeded my warning."

"Well, they gave my powers back, but not until Luka had died and Jonas was practically dead himself," Bonnie replied.

"It is a shame they did not listen to me," Esther sighed.

Finn cleared his throat. "I do not understand what's going on," he said.

They explained how Esther had taken over Irina's body to help with the situation after the Martin witches took Irina's powers. He looked shocked and impressed at such a situation. After their story was finished, the bell on the door of the Grill rang and Irina looked up. It was her and Bonnie's dad walking in.

"Dad!" Irina said with a smile on her face.

Bonnie and Irina both jumped from their seats and gave him a hug when he reached the table. After Irina pulled away, she noticed that all the Originals were staring. She cleared her throat and introduced Rudy to Esther and Finn.

"Dad, this is Esther and her son Finn. They just moved to town. This is our dad- Rudy," she said.

"It's nice to meet you," Esther said, although her voice sounded… forced somehow.

Rudy smiled a friendly smile at them and said; "It's nice to meet you as well. Since you two are busy, I'll see you two at home- you should get back to your lunch."

He hugged them one last time and left the Grill. Klaus cleared out as well, followed by Elijah and then Kol. "Well, I hope you two will be accepting our invitation to the ball," Esther said as she stood.

"Of course we are," Bonnie said. "We never pass up an opportunity to dance and dress up."

Esther and Finn smiled and hugged them both, which was a bit odd to say the least, but they didn't say anything about it. They watched as the two of them left and shared a look that confirmed their feelings on this lunch- _definitely weird. _

They left the Grill so they could head to Richmond for their dress shopping.

* * *

Kol's niece never failed to entertain him during their human years, when she had been a small child. She had the biggest imagination, and he would help her come up with stories about funny animals and silly situations. He knew Klaus was thinking along the same lines when he looked over and saw the hybrid smirking. There was a light in his eye that Kol hadn't seen in almost a millennium.

They listened as Irina and Bonnie attempted to explain pizza to his mother and brother. Elijah walked over to stand by them at that moment, and Kol actually saw a smirk on his eldest brother's face as well. This was a rare day for his family. Their food arrived, and they didn't speak as they ate. Kol rolled his eyes- _we set this up for a reason, and they're blowing it!_

They had wanted to know more about Irina- and Kol said it might be better to add Bonnie to the equation, to make it seem less suspicious. Of course the Salvatores would have to be here today of all days. If they tried to intervene and ruin this, Kol would kill them… _slowly_.

Finally, Bonnie spoke, and Kol listened intently at their interesting conversation. Apparently there had been some trouble with the Martin witches- even though Kol didn't know who they were referring to. Elijah and Niklaus seemed to understand perfectly well. According to their story- which Finn has kindly asked them to retell- father Martin had taken Bonnie's powers. Irina- desperate to help her sister- called upon the spirits who sent Esther.

Esther was happy to help, because if they took Bonnie's powers, Irina would likely be next. She gave them a warning of impending doom, and they… semi-listened. Long story short- Irina got possessed, and the Martins' got, well… dead. After their story, the door opened and a middle-aged, dark skinned man walked through the door.

"Dad!" Irina said.

Both Irina and Bonnie jumped from the table to give him a hug. Kol looked to Niklaus, and saw how his jaw was clenched. Kol _thought_ that the only thing keeping that man alive right now was his proximity to Irina. However, when he looked at Nik's eyes, they didn't show anger, but sadness. It was like his world had been crushed- and Kol supposed that it had.

The man- who was introduced as Rudy- left the two girls there, saying that he'd see them at home. Klaus left soon after, followed by Kol and Elijah, but went in the opposite direction of Rudy. They didn't catch up to him until they got to the mansion, where Rebekah was waiting. She had told them their plan was foolish, and she would have no part in it. If she wanted to know about Irina, she would ask her to her face.

Nik didn't bother speaking to anyone, and went straight to his art room.

* * *

Rebekah had just finished painting her nails when Nik came speeding through the front door. Elijah and Kol were hot on his heels. She put the polish back in her bag and went to meet them, only to see Klaus flashing to his art room and closing the door. She sighed and turned to her two other brothers.

"What on Earth is wrong?" she asked.

Elijah launched into his story about how Irina and Bonnie were at the grill having lunch with Esther and Finn, when a man named Rudy came in. He was Bonnie's biological father, and Irina's adopted one. Rebekah immediately felt tears come to her eyes for her brother's pain. She knew it was probably the most difficult thing in the world for him- to see Irina call another man 'dad' or 'father'. Since Irina was sent away, all Klaus has dreamed about- besides breaking the bloody curse- was finding her and getting his daughter back.

She sent Kol and Elijah away- out of the house- and waited until she was certain that they were gone before walking quietly to Klaus' art room. She lightly tapped on the door, and opened it when she didn't receive a response. She walked in- expecting to see paintings smashed and everything in disarray- but she was greeted with no such sight. Klaus was just sitting on his sofa, and looking through old sketches.

This was so much worse than his anger- it was his sadness. When Klaus felt anger, his victims suffered. The wrongdoers were the ones who felt the wrath. When he felt sadness, it was his siblings who shared in his pain. As children, Rebekah had always looked up to Niklaus. He had secretly been her favorite brother, and in over one-thousand years, that hadn't changed. When he felt sadness, it made her want to take him in her arms and comfort him like when they were human.

She walked to his side, and sunk to a crouching position. He turned to face her, and in a soft voice, she said; "Elijah told me what happened."

"I don't want to talk about it, Rebekah," he said, but his voice wasn't hard and demanding- it was broken. After months of being with Irina and watching her not know that her father was right in front of her, this must have been the final straw.

"You might not _want_ to, but you _need_ to," she said.

He looked at her, and she knew the look on his face. It was always his _I'm-in-emotional-pain_ look. He was the 'big-bad-hybrid'. He didn't show his feelings, but Rebekah knew he had them. He would never let anyone outside his family see his tears, but this is what she saw when she looked into his eyes. They were glazed with tears, even though he was trying to keep his face stern.

He moved away from her and into a sitting position. His elbows were on his knees, and his head was in his hands. She moved to sit beside him, and took him into her arms. It was something that only a sister could do. She felt him heave a shaky sigh, and run his hands over his face to remove any evidence of tears.

"She called him 'dad,' Bekah," he said.

"She doesn't know Niklaus. We must wait until her memories are returned," Rebekah said.

Klaus shook his head. "How long, Rebekah? How long must I wait? It's already been a thousand years since last I saw her, and I didn't even get to watch her grow up. I am so proud of her now, but I don't get to tell her that," he said. "Some other man gets to say things like 'that's my girl,' or 'Irina- yes, she's my daughter'. When do I get her back, Rebekah? Answer me that," he said.

Rebekah's eyes were filled with unshed tears as she listened to her brother speak. Her hold on him never weakened. She didn't care about the coffins anymore. He could have put her in a coffin for the rest of eternity- he was still her brother. She would be pissed, and untrusting of him, but she knew there was no way she could stop loving him. This was her Nik, and she couldn't let him go, so she held on to him and cried.

* * *

Irina and Bonnie had returned home late from Richmond. They had eaten dinner with Rudy- who had to leave the next day for a business trip to Pasadena- and he gave them both gifts from his trip to New York. Apparently he had gotten them both bracelets from _the _Tiffany's store in New York. Once Caroline was out of her post-dad's-death funk, she would positively freak! Irina and Bonnie both just decided to go with it, and not worry about how much it must have cost him.

They all went to bed pretty early, but Irina couldn't sleep. Something had happened after her dad walked into the Grill- the Originals all seemed tense. She couldn't stop thinking about it, so she took the carved wooden wolf from her nightstand. It was on the same leather cord she had found it on in the caves. She ran her fingers along the carved lines of the wood, and smiled. Somehow it was comforting to her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

_Irina expected to go to the field in her dreams. It was where she had wanted to go, so that she could see Aoife and Henrik, but instead she was standing in front of a hearth somewhere. Henrik was there, though he wasn't speaking directly to her- well, the seventeen year old version, anyway. He was, however, speaking to Irina's four-year-old self. _

"_Irina, look what Niklaus gave me earlier," he said. _

_He held out the little carved wolf that was dangling from a leather strip. "It's lovely," Irina replied. _

"_I like it. He said he made it special- just for me- since I am so fascinated by the wolves," Henrik said. His voice oozed pride at his brother and his abilities. _

"_Do you think I will carve things like that?" she asked._

"_I think you can do whatever you want to, Irina. Although… father does not like women wielding blades. He says 'tis improper and against the rules," Henrik said._

_Irina giggled and said; "Who needs rules?"_

"_You're exactly right," Henrik said._

_Irina smiled at the memory in front of her, and was happy that she could at least remember some moments with Henrik. She longed for her memories to return. Someone in the dream called her name, but she could barely hear the voice. She didn't know who it was- she couldn't place it._

"_That'll be your father looking for you. We'll just have to make him find you himself," Henrik teased. _

_Irina waited with baited breath to see who would walk into the room. The need to know who her real father was had never been this strong. She waited and waited, and finally- when the footsteps were so close and his shadow was getting closer- everything stopped, and she woke up._


	32. it's time

**AN; So I guess I'm just going to update again. Lol. I NEED HER MEMORIES TO COME BACK! This is definitely the last update for today, and I probably won't update until late tomorrow. **

* * *

Pick it up, pick it all up.  
And start again.  
You've got a second chance,  
you could go home.  
Escape it all.  
It's just irrelevant.

- Medicine by Daughter

* * *

Irina sat up and took in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom- not the caves- and there was a dull ache in her head. She looked at the little carved wolf in her hand. Was the dream a memory, or simply a dream? She looked outside and saw that it was still dark, but the clock was showing five-thirty am. The sun would be coming up soon, and there was no way she could go back to sleep now. She sighed and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

She looked down at her pillow and saw blood- how did that get there. The first thing she did was feel the side of her neck, even though there was no bite mark there anymore. She shook her head and walked to the bathroom. She looked and the mirror and saw dried blood that had dripped from her nose and down her chin.

_Gross_, she thought. She didn't want to turn the shower on and wake up Bonnie and her dad so early, so she took a washcloth from the drawer and ran hot water on it. After her face was cleaned, she felt like she needed something to do- something that would clear her mind. She noticed her running shoes in the corner, and smiled to herself. She would go for a run to clear her mind.

She slipped on her shorts and tank-top before pulling on her running shoes, and silently slipping out of the house. It was springtime now, and it had rained the night before. The smell of the cool, damp Earth was refreshing and perfect for a run. She started running toward the park, and smiled when the sun began to peak over the horizon.

She stopped her running when she reached the woods at the edge of the park. As children they were always told to stay out of the woods, because apparently they were haunted. Knowing what she does now, she would probably laugh if someone told her that the woods were a source of danger. The only thing creepy in these woods was an old stone hut of sorts. According to Alaric, it had been there for a really _really_ long time.

She knew one family that could answer her questions, but she was trying to avoid all things Original-related at the moment. She didn't want any thoughts of them in her mind. She slowed to a walk as she entered the woods.

* * *

Irina kept walking, listening to her music, and not paying attention to anything. She noticed the stone hut she'd been thinking about earlier coming up in the distance, and she saw a glow around it- a magical glow. There was something off about it, and it was pulling her in the direction of the hut.

She tried to pass it by, but she had to slow down and walk towards it. She pulled the earbuds from her ears and proceeded towards the door. She peeked through a small hole in the wall, and saw the strangest sight. The light was coming from a crystal in the middle of the table, and someone was chanting in a language she didn't know- although she could pick up on a few words.

What freaked her out the most was the person chanting- it was Meredith Fell. Since when was she a witch, and what kind of magic was she performing?

"What is it?" someone asked from behind her.

Irina gasped and turned to see Rebekah behind her. Was the original sister following her? She held her finger to her mouth in a sign to be quiet, and moved from the crack in the stone. She motioned for Rebekah to take a look. She bent down and then righted herself moments later. Irina took her phone and positioned the camera part at the small hole in the wall, and pressed record. She needed to show this to Bonnie and see if she could make anything of it.

She removed the camera once the chanting was over, but stayed to see what Meredith was doing. She watched as she gingerly picked up the crystal and placed it around her neck. It was purple in color, and not very big at all, but it shone with magic- old, powerful, dark magic. She backed away from the hut, and she and Rebekah began running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Irina arrived home with Rebekah hot on her heels. They arrived at Irina's home, and she noticed her dad's car was gone, but there was a different one in its place. She sent the video to Rebekah and asked her to talk to Esther about it, and then walked inside.

When she entered the house she didn't expect what she saw. There was Jeremy and Jenna just chilling on her sofa.

"Jeremy?" she asked.

"Irina!" he said, before jumping up and crushing her in a giant hug.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Jenna cleared her throat and said; "I don't know how you compelled me, but it wore off, and I brought Jeremy back. How could you do that?"

"I'm sorry, Jenna. Elena got Damon to compel Jeremy to go to Denver for safety reasons. You were supposed to stay here, but the Caroline got bitten, and I didn't bring you back just so you could die of a werewolf bite," Irina said.

Jenna's expression softened and she sighed. "Fine, okay… I get it. I don't like it, but I get it," she said.

"Where's Bonnie?" Irina asked.

"She is in the shower. I think she wanted some alone time after your dad left for yet another business trip," Jeremy said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just… stay away from Meredith Fell if you can," Irina said.

"Why?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know what is going on with her, but there is something strange happening," Irina explained.

"Care to elaborate?" Bonnie asked as she came in the room with a robe on.

Irina nodded and thought back to the other day when she had to tell Meredith about Sam's passing.

* * *

_Irina walked to Meredith's apartment and knocked on the door. She tried her best to keep the tears from her eyes, but she was still in a slight state of shock from seeing Sam die right before her eyes. Meredith opened the door and smiled at Irina, but there was something off. It looked… out of place. _

"_Meredith, can I come in? I have some… bad news," she said._

"_Of course," Meredith said. _

_Irina stepped inside, and said; "Okay, so you know how Sam was a werewolf, right?" _

"_Yes," Meredith replied hesitantly. _

"_Well, he was turned into a hybrid by Klaus, and then he staked himself, and now he's dead," Irina said. _

_Meredith raised an eyebrow, and then said; "Well, that's just dreadful."_

_There was no emotion in her voice, and there was no sadness on her face. She didn't look shocked at all. "I expected more shock or sadness… I mean, he was practically like your little brother," Irina said._

"_Oh, well… yes. It is terribly sad," Meredith said as she was paged. "Oh, I must be going. This was a pleasant conversation, but I really must be going. I will see you," she said. _

_Irina just watched as she left, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. _

* * *

"Whoa, so you're telling me Meredith Fell- whom we've known since we were kids- is a witch?" Jeremy asked.

"No, she can't be. We would have sensed it- Grams would have told us," Bonnie said.

Irina nodded. "Exactly. I don't know what's going on, but we need to talk to Esther about it. We can speak with her tonight at the ball," she said.

"There's a ball?" Jenna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep, which reminds me," Irina began before turning to Jeremy, "do you still have your tux?"

* * *

They arrived to the Mikaelson mansion and their mouths fell open. It was _beautiful_ and bustling with partygoers. She shared a look with Jeremy and they exited the car. Elena and Bonnie were already standing in front, waiting on everyone else to arrive.

"Hey guys," Irina said as they met the other two girls. Elena's dress was gorgeous with sparkles everywhere, and Bonnie was radiant in her gold gown.

"Irina, hey! You look great!" Elena said, and Irina smiled. "Thank you," she said. She'd better look great; she spent long enough on this look. Her long hair was curled into an intricate style, but it still looked natural. Her dress was long and blood-red, and it shimmered on the corseted bodice. The corset was so tight that she knew she would probably have bruises, but she looked good, and that's all that mattered. She had pulled on a long pair of gloves to match her dress, and slipped the bracelet with the carved wooden wolf onto her wrist. It blended well, and you probably wouldn't notice it.

She noticed Caroline standing a few feet away, in a stunning blue dress. She hadn't heard from her blonde vampire friend since her father died, and she was surprised to see her here. "Caroline!" she called.

Caroline's head shot up and she looked to where they were standing. She gave them a smile and walked to where they were standing. "Hi guys!" she said.

"Caroline, we didn't know you got invited," Elena said.

"Um… yeah, I did," Caroline said as she fidgeted nervously.

"Who invited you?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline cleared her throat and was about to answer when a certain hybrid douche came up behind her. "That would be me, Miss Bennett," he said.

Caroline gave an apologetic smile and walked into the mansion with Klaus. The four people standing there shared extremely confused expressions before walking into the mansion themselves. Irina's phone went off as soon as she stepped through the door, and she looked at the text from Caroline.

_I'll explain later -Care_

* * *

Elena was the first to separate from the group when the Salvatore brothers arrived. Apparently they didn't want her here without any protection. Irina and Bonnie rolled their eyes, but continued to mingle with people. Irina didn't let go of Jeremy's arm throughout the evening- she didn't need Klaus trying to kill him again.

Irina, Bonnie, and Jeremy were getting a flute of champagne from one of the trays when someone came up behind them and cleared their throat. "Miss Bennett," said a voice.

"Yes," Irina and Bonnie said at the same time as they turned to see Kol.

He smirked and said; "My apologies- I meant, Miss Bonnie Bennett."

Irina smirked at her sister and said; "Jeremy, we should go see that thing."

"What thing?" Jeremy asked.

"The one that lets Kol have a moment alone with Bonnie," she said as she pulled Jeremy away.

After mingling with the mayor and the sheriff, and filling Jeremy in on the latest Mystic Falls happenings, there was the sound of someone tapping a crystal glass.

"If everyone could gather, please," Elijah announced, signaling everyone to gather in the main part of the house.

Irina gathered with the rest of their group as Elijah continued his speech. "Welcome- thank you for joining us. Whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it is tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please pick a partner and join us in the ballroom," he said.

Irina smirked at Jeremy who looked uneasy about the whole dancing thing. She noticed Esther returning upstairs, and shared a look with Elena. Her envelope- as well as Irina and Bonnie's- had a message written on the back of it.

_I think it's time we had a discussion. –Esther_

The three girls made their way to the staircase, but were stopped by Damon and Stefan. "Don't even think about it," they said.

"She wants to see us alone, Damon," Elena said.

"Sucks to be her then, doesn't it," Damon said.

"Seriously Damon? We can take care of ourselves!" Bonnie said.

"It doesn't matter- it's still too dangerous. She's a thousand year old witch. Your powers combined couldn't equal hers and you know it. The answer is _no_," Stefan said.

Irina was about to protest when Jeremy offered his arm. "It would be rude not to dance," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "It is tradition," she replied.

* * *

It turns out; Jeremy Gilbert wasn't a bad dancer. He should definitely give himself more credit. Irina couldn't stop herself from looking in his brown eyes for more than a minute. She noticed the Originals giving her looks, but she couldn't discern them.

Rebekah was smiling at them as she danced with Matt- Irina would have to ask him about that later. Elijah was dancing with the mayor, but his expression was- as always- unreadable. Finn was dancing with the sheriff, and Irina caught him smiling at them more than once. Kol was trying his best _not_ to look at them as he danced with Bonnie, and Klaus was trying not to look angry as he danced with Caroline.

She rolled her eyes and focused on Jeremy. He smiled at her and said; "So what's the deal with the Salvatores?"

Irina scoffed. "Whatever would make you think something is wrong with them?" she asked sarcastically.

Jeremy smiled, and Irina noticed the scowls of annoyance on the Salvatore brothers' faces. "Why don't they want you to meet with Esther? If she wants to talk to you I doubt they're going to stop her," he said.

"Because they're big babies who just want to get their way," Irina said petulantly, and noticed as Caroline giggled and the Originals smirked.

Jeremy spun Irina and she was caught by none other than Kol himself. "Well, hello Miss Bennett," he said.

"Hello Kol," she sighed.

He raised his eyebrow and said; "Someone's mood changed drastically."

"I was enjoying dancing with my boyfriend," she said.

Kol rolled his eyes and sighed. "You can't be serious, can you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"If you say so," she sighed. "Now, onto more mannered topics. What did my mother want to speak to your little group of friends about?"

"I don't know. Our bodyguards won't let us anywhere near her," she griped. When she caught Damon's eye she stuck her tongue out at him.

Kol laughed and said; "That's not very lady-like."

"Who claimed I was a lady?" she teased, causing him to smirk.

* * *

After the dance, Irina got Elena and Bonnie alone with her and Kol. "What's going on?" Bonnie asked.

"Okay, so we need to go see Esther, but we can't do that with two bodyguards in the way. We need a distraction," Irina said.

"So why am I here?" Kol asked.

Irina smirked. "I figured you'd like to help out three damsels in distress," she teased.

"Cause a scene, and spit in the face of mother's rules?" he asked, as if he were above doing such a thing. The girls' faces fell before he said; "I'm in."

The three of them looked at each other and nodded. Kol told them to go to the library, and he told Elena to text Damon and Stefan. When the brothers arrived, Kol incapacitated them by snapping their necks. The three of them took their chance and quickly made their way to the room where Esther was. Irina knocked on the door, and heard someone say 'enter'.

* * *

They entered the room, and instantly they were wary. Esther was holding something and performing some type of spell. She noticed their wary expressions and said; "It's only sage. I've spelled it so that we may speak freely."

"You can do that?" Bonnie asked.

Esther smiled. "Yes. You must have a million questions for me," she said.

"How are you here? Are you a ghost, or…" Elena asked, trailing off at the last part.

"Not quite. When I died, the witch Ayanna preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine- an ancestor of yours, Bonnie," Esther explained.

Bonnie's eyebrows shot to her forehead. "Really? You knew my ancestor?" she asked.

"I did. Now, the reason I'm here," Esther began. "I am holding a meeting between us, because I desire to live in peace here with my children. It's been my goal for over a thousand years," she said.

"Even though Klaus killed you?" Irina asked.

Esther smiled. "My dear, I've had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and to heal. I think you'll find- as you grow older- that forgiveness is a gift, not a chore," she said.

"So you just want to live here in peace with everyone? That's it?" Elena asked.

"Yes, my dear. I can ensure you that my children want the same thing. If I can forgive Niklaus, I am certain you can as well. They have been without guidance for so long- they need their humanity back," Esther said.

Irina shared a look with her friends and said; "Why are you speaking to us about it?"

"Because you are the ones he has wronged. I will speak to those brothers- the Salvatores, was it?- and I will tell them the same, but if you three are able to forgive and live in peace, I am positive they will follow your example," Esther explained.

Bonnie sighed. "I don't see why we couldn't live in peace. I mean, we don't have eternity to _get revenge_ or whatever it is Stefan's trying to accomplish. I think it would be healthy for us and everyone else involved if we just… gave peace a chance," she said.

Irina rolled her eyes at her sister's last cliché, but ultimately agreed with her. "I'm willing to forgive him for trying to kill me, but I won't unless Elena does. He actually succeeded with that," she said.

They looked to Elena, who was definitely deep in thought. "Okay," she said softly.

"What?" Irina asked.

"Okay, I forgive him. I just want to be able to sleep at night knowing that Klaus won't kill any of my loved ones, or that Stefan won't get himself killed trying to end Klaus," she explained.

"So it's settled then," Esther said. "We will have peace."

* * *

After more questions from the girls to Esther, there was a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Finn, holding back a fuming Damon and an annoyed Stefan. Irina rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry to intrude mother, but these two were headed up here to see you. What should I do with them?" he asked.

Esther smiled. "Bring them in, please," she said.

Finn brought them forward, but didn't let go. "What do you three think you are doing?" Damon asked.

"We came to talk to Esther," Elena replied.

"You weren't supposed to come up here by yourselves- or have you forgotten that she's already tried to kill Elena?" Stefan said.

"I'm surprised you even care, Stefan. I mean, it's not like Elena has anything to do with your never ending plans to kill Klaus!" Irina snapped.

"Enough!" Esther said, and a silence fell over the room. She used her magic to close the doors, and then said; "Damon and Stefan Salvatore, please take a seat. We need to talk."

"About what?" Damon asked.

"She said sit," Finn said before pushing them onto the sofa.

"Now, I would like to speak in a civilized manner. I was going to visit you both later, but since you saw fit to come to me yourself, I suppose now will suffice," she said. "I am going to tell you the same thing that I told the girls- I desire nothing more than to live here with my family, in peace with the rest of the town. It has been my wish for over a thousand years, and I will not let anything stand in the way of my family's happiness."

"Well it's a bit difficult to have peace when your son is busy trying to kill everyone in Mystic Falls," Damon snipped.

"And why was he doing that, Damon? Oh yeah, because _Stefan_ thought it would be a good idea to take his family! He could have just left it alone, but no! What Klaus did was wrong, but Stefan just made it worse by trying to get revenge on someone who is _always_ three steps ahead," Irina ranted.

"I will keep my children in check- no feeding from the townspeople, no attempts to kill anyone within the city limits, etc. As long as you promise to keep yourselves in check as well. I don't want any more attempts on my children's lives. I have quite the temper, and if I were you I wouldn't want to see it," she threatened.

"There is another thing," Bonnie said. "We've already agreed."

Stefan's eyes went wide and he said; "Seriously?"

"Yes, Stefan. We want to live in peace, and we can't do that while you're being all malicious and angry- so, either find Klaus and bury the hatchet or leave, because peace is exactly what this town needs," Elena said.

Damon, surprising everyone, stood and faced Esther. "Fine, if it is peace you want, it's peace you shall get. But, I would like to add something to this," he said.

"What is your condition?" Esther asked.

"Klaus can no longer use Elena as a human blood-bag," he said.

Esther thought for a moment, and then said; "It shall be done. Now, let's all rejoin the party."

Everyone began to walk out, but Esther pulled Damon and Irina aside. "There is still one matter that I need to speak with you about," she said.

"What is it?" Irina asked after everyone else was out of the room.

"I think it's about time you got your memories back," Esther said.


	33. no more darkness

**AN; So here we are... This isn't as epic as I remember it being when I first wrote it, but, oh well... Also, if I created a Tumblr for this story, would ya'll reference it? I want to put up pics of Irina's mama. **

**WE MADE IT TO 100 REVIEWS BEFORE SHE GOT HER MEMORIES BACK! Thank you all SO MUCH! **

* * *

But I came and I was nothing  
And time will give us nothing  
So why did you choose to lean on  
A man you knew was falling?

- The Enemy by Mumford and Sons

* * *

"_I think it's about time you got your memories back," Esther said._

Irina's eyebrows shot to her hairline and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had spent so long wanting her memories to return, and though she had gotten some of them back, she still felt like something was missing. She wanted her memories- no, she _needed_ her memories.

"You're just going to give them back- just like that?" she asked.

"Of course my dear. You'll understand once they are returned to you," Esther said.

Damon cleared his throat. "Why am I here?" he asked.

"She is going to be receiving years' worth of memories all at once. It will most likely give her a terrible headache, and she'll most likely lose consciousness. I was hoping you would help her," Esther stated.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?" he asked.

"You are her friend, are you not? Would you prefer Niklaus to help her?" Esther asked.

"No," Damon and Irina said at the same time.

Esther smiled and walked to a table that was covered in candles, and placed in the light of the full moon. She was drawing tons of energy. There was an old goblet sitting on the table, and she was pouring multiple things into it. Irina was getting nervous, but for some reason she trusted Esther. The older witch said an incantation, and the liquid glowed in the cup.

"Now, my dear, you will need to drink this. Then, you must stay awake until midnight, and that is when the memories will come back," she said.

"Okay. So, why can't I stay at my own house for this?" she asked.

"Because there is another witch there, and this spell is so sensitive that her magic will interfere with this magic. I think it would be a good idea for you to stay away from Bonnie until your memories are returned," Esther said.

"Okay then," Irina said.

"Now, you need to listen carefully. Your memories will return to you promptly at midnight- which is in about… one hour. Once you drink this, you will experience a mild discomfort in your head- which will get worse, and then it will be gone when you wake up," she said.

"And you're sure you want to do this, Irina? I mean, your memories seem to be coming back little-by-little anyway," Damon said.

"I'm sure. I want my memories back now," she replied.

Esther handed her the goblet, and she looked at the amber liquid inside. She took a steadying breath and gulped it down in one swift drink. She didn't feel any different, but she only had an hour to go home and change before her memories would return.

"Thank you, Esther," Irina said.

* * *

Damon had driven Irina to her house so she could change clothes. Bonnie wasn't home yet, she was still at the party- probably talking to Kol. Irina chuckled as she thought of her sister, chatting it up with one of the most unstable of the Original family. She removed her dress and pulled on a long sleeve t-shirt and some yoga pants. She was right when she assumed that the corset would give her bruises.

She bent over to tie her shoes, but almost fainted when she felt a sharp pain settle behind her eyes, and a wave of nausea took over her. She immediately stood and held onto the doorframe for support. _So shoes that tie are definitely out_, she thought as she slipped on her sandals instead. She ran back to Damon's car before Bonnie arrived home.

The pain was still there, and it was only getting worse. _Mild discomfort my ass_, Irina thought. She pulled her knees to her chest and held her head in her hands as Damon drove.

"Did she say something about aspirin working?" Irina asked.

Damon just shook his head, but wore a worried expression. "I don't think it works that way," he said.

When they got to the Boarding House it was two minutes until midnight. Irina could hardly hold her eyes open because of her headache, and Damon had to guide her to the sofa. Suddenly, as her cellphone read 12:00-midnight, her head felt as though it were on fire. She couldn't help but to cry out, and Damon was by her side in a second. There was blood pouring from her nose, and her mind was being bombarded with memories. Eventually the pain became too much, and she collapsed. As she lost consciousness she could feel Damon picking her up and laying her on the sofa.

* * *

_A young Irina watched as her mother sewed a shirt for her father. She sat, amazed as the needle passed through the fabric and made it stay together. "Mamma, why is everybody so excited today?" she asked._

"_It's your father's birthday, sweetie," Aoife replied. _

"_Does that mean he's old?" Irina asked. _

_Aoife laughed- a beautiful sound- and said; "He's older, but he isn't old yet."_

_Irina smiled and climbed into her mother's lap, careful not to stick herself with the pin, and nestled into her mother's side. "Can I help you make his shirt?" she asked._

"_I don't see why not," Aoife said. She handed Irina the needle. Irina tried her best to keep a straight line, but it wasn't working. "Perhaps you should wait a few years before trying to make shirts," her mother replied._

"_But I want to help!" Irina protested. _

_Aoife thought for a moment and then said; "Okay, here's how you can help. Take the basket from in front of the fire and go pick some blueberries from the bush outside. I think your father should have a cake, don't you?" _

"_Yes!" Irina said excitedly as she ran out the door. She was in such a hurry that she almost knocked down the person on the other side of it. _

"_Whoa there," the voice said. "We don't want you falling and getting a bump on your head."_

"_Sorry Papa," Irina replied. When she looked up she saw his face- it's was Klaus! _

* * *

_Irina and Henrik were practicing their magic in the garden as they waited for Esther to arrive. She was running late due to the fact that she needed to fix dinner. Henrik and Irina were both trying to get the water to move out of the bucket, but it wasn't working. Suddenly, their concentration was broken when the water rose from the bucket and fell on their heads. _

_They turned to see Kol laughing at them- apparently he thought it was funny to use his powers and douse them with water. Irina smirked at him before setting his bow on fire. "Very funny!" he said as he stalked away to fix his bow. _

* * *

_Irina ran to the room where her mother was, and saw her Amma and Aunt Bekah sitting there with tears on their faces. She didn't understand what was happening. She went to sit by her mother, and Esther began chanting in Latin. Aoife opened her eyes and looked at her daughter's face._

_"Irina…" she said._

_"Momma, why are Amma and Aunt Bekah crying?" she asked._

_Aoife sighed. "Because, I have to leave," she replied._

_"Am I coming too?" Irina asked._

_"No, baby. You must stay here and help papa," she said._

_"Why can't you stay and help him?" Irina asked._

_She smiled. "My time here is done. I have to go to Heaven," she said._

* * *

When Irina woke, the pounding in her head was gone, but there was nothing to be said for her confusion. So, Klaus was her father? No… no that's impossible. He was so kind back then- he was her papa- but now… she felt betrayed. He's tried to kill her so many times, and Rebekah helped him when he was turning Tyler, and Elijah had decapitated someone right before her eyes! What had happened to her family?

She had to sort her thoughts, and there was only one way she could do that. She slid off the sofa and into the floor, with her knees pressed to her chest, and focused as hard as she could. She needed to get everything- the memories, her thoughts, the differences in her family- she had to get it all sorted in her mind.

* * *

Once Irina woke, she sat in silence. Damon didn't know what to do. She was just staring straight ahead in some sort of… catatonic stupor. He was beginning to worry, which didn't sit well with him. He didn't care! He was the bad guy- you know, the vampire with his emotions turned off.

But, somehow, his emotions just won't stay off in the presence of some people. This little witch was one of them. She had somehow weaseled her way into his heart and set up camp- _how annoying_. She had told Stefan once that he was like the older brother she had always wanted but never had, and Damon wondered if she felt the same way about him. Of course, he couldn't ask her if she was just sitting there and staring straight ahead.

He didn't know what Esther had done, so he decided to call Bonnie and see if it was something witchy. Esther told Damon that Irina had gotten her memories back, and that's why she lost consciousness, but now she was awake and doing nothing. She just sat on the floor, with her back against the sofa, and her knees pulled to her chest.

Bonnie answered the phone after the first ring, and sighed after hearing about Irina. "I assume from your sigh of frustration that you know what's wrong with her," Damon said.

"Yes. You said she got her memories back?" Bonnie asked. When Damon said yes, she explained by saying; "She'll be fine. She's just thinking. When there is too much going on in her head, and she gets overwhelmed, she does that. She just sits there and thinks until everything is sorted."

"So… she just sits there? What about eating… _or blinking_?" he asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "It shouldn't take long for her to snap out of it. I've found it's best just to leave her alone," she said.

Damon nodded and hung up. When he turned back around, Irina was still in the same position as before. He sighed, poured himself a drink, and went to sit beside her in the floor. She had to snap out of it sometime, right?

* * *

Irina had been sitting there for a day and a half, and even Stefan was beginning to get worried. It was noon when she showed the first sign of movement, and Damon was surprised that she was sorting her thoughts so quickly. He watched as a single tear ran down her cheek, and then she sniffled. Her hands grabbed the end of her long-sleeves, and pulled them to her knuckles. She wrapped her arms around herself and started crying.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

She didn't say anything- she simply shook her head. He looked at her with the signature-Stefan-brooding look, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She took this as some sort of Dr. Phil invitation, and collapsed into his arms. He was shocked, but he didn't make any move to stand or remove her from his shirt. He was never really good at this sort of thing, but she was his friend now. He had been able to trust her more than once, and he worried for her while she was with Klaus- a deal she had made to save Damon's life. The least he could do for her was _try_ to comfort her.

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers, waiting for her to cry herself out. It didn't take long- she was asleep in minutes- and he carried her to one of the guest bedrooms before laying her down on the bed. It was more comfortable than the sofa- and definitely better than the floor. He turned out the light and left the room. He sighed and shook his head- he needed backup. He needed someone who knew her, and would be able to comfort her.

Any one of her friends could do it, but since Esther had caused this, one of the Originals could fix it.

He needed Rebekah.

* * *

Irina woke in the bed, but didn't bother getting up or even turning the light on. She felt completely crushed. Her father was a mass murderer and her mother was dead. She always had a feeling that her mother was dead, but she had never really been able to accept it. She was always waiting and hoping that someday her mother would return to her, but now she knew- her mother was gone. It was like she died all over again.

Then there was the fact that the man she had called father for so long was the same mass-murdering hybrid that had attempted to kill her on multiple occasions. Did he even remember her? Rebekah seemed to, but she didn't know for sure. Despite everything that had happened, she wanted to see Rebekah. She remembered her aunt's comforting embrace, and she wondered if it would still be the same.

She dared not move from her spot on the bed as her tears fell, but- as if reading her thoughts- the door opened and Rebekah walked in. Irina knew it was her by the way her heels clicked across the hardwood- _even her shoes sound expensive_, Irina thought. Irina saw Rebekah stop in front of the bed, and then- upon seeing Irina's despairing face- she took a seat on the bed and pulled Irina into an embrace.

* * *

Rebekah had never been as happy as she was when Esther told her that Irina's memories had returned. Niklaus was acting like he was confident about it, but Rebekah knew he was nervous. He hadn't exactly opened up and shown Irina his humanity yet, and if she were smart she would be nervous around him for some time.

"I just can't believe it Aunt Bekah," Irina mumbled, and Rebekah's heart swelled with happiness at hearing her call her 'aunt'.

"I know… perhaps you just need time to accept it," she offered.

Irina shook her head. "I have accepted it. I just don't understand. How can everyone be so different?" she asked.

Rebekah took a ragged breath. "You have to understand that a thousand years can change a person," she said.

"I know that, and I understand. But… when I first met Elijah, he decapitated someone right in front of me! Klaus tried to _kill_ me, and he _knew _who I was! I just… I don't understand," Irina replied as she sat up. She had kept the carved wolf with her, and she was holding it for comfort now.

"Perhaps we should go get you cleaned up, okay? I think your returning memories caused you to have a nosebleed," she offered.

Irina nodded mutely and followed Rebekah out of the room. She told Damon they were leaving and he didn't seem too happy about it, but Rebekah didn't exactly give him a choice. Rebekah drove them back to Irina's house, and Irina invited her in, much to Bonnie's annoyance.

* * *

Once Irina was cleaned up again, she went to the kitchen and sat across from Rebekah, who was trying to make small talk with Bonnie. They both looked at her, and Bonnie gave her a small smile.

"It's like mamma and Henrik died all over again," Irina said in a hollow voice.

Rebekah's eyes saddened at the mention of their deaths, and she looked at her folded hands. "Damon said you got your memories back, Irina," Bonnie began.

Irina nodded and said; "Yep, and it was only to remember that my mother actually did die."

"What about your father?" Bonnie asked.

Irina paused and looked at Rebekah, who had a curious look on her face. "I can't tell you," she finally said.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"Because if I tell you then you'll hate me forever, and kick me out, and no longer consider me your sister," Irina replied.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Irina, you've officially lost it. I could never hate you, this is your home too- so I won't kick you out, and I will _always_ consider you my sister," she said.

Irina sighed. "I was born a thousand years ago, and I was sent to the future for my protection after Esther turned her children," she began. Bonnie nodded, having heard this before, and Irina continued by saying; "Rebekah is my aunt, and Esther is my grandmother."

Bonnie froze. "So, that means that one of the male members of the Original family is your father?" she asked.

"Yep," Irina replied.

"Whoa…" Bonnie breathed. She looked at Irina with the same expression she uses while studying spells, and Irina looked back at her. Her eyes widened and she said; "Klaus is your father."

"How the hell did you figure that out?" Rebekah asked.

Bonnie's eyebrows were raised and she said; "It was just a guess- she has his eyes and nose, and she has his temper."

"And you don't care?" Irina asked.

"No. You don't choose your family- no offense to you, Rebekah- and we're at peace with him. I will admit that I'm not in his fan club, and I may never be, but if we've all forgiven him I don't see what the problem is," she replied.

Irina just sat there, in shock with how well Bonnie was handling it.

* * *

Irina stayed home for most of the week, and Rebekah would always check up on her. She was really the only member of the Original family Irina would talk to. Kol and Finn had stopped by, but Irina didn't want to leave the house and they weren't invited in- although she doubted Bonnie would mind if she extended and invite to Kol. She stepped onto the porch to speak with them for a few moments before making some excuse and returning indoors.

She didn't want to see Elijah right now, even though they had been on okay terms only a few days ago, and she _really_ wasn't ready to see Klaus. She had accepted that he was her father, but what was she supposed to do? She couldn't just throw herself into his arms and kiss his cheek like she did as a child, and she certainly wasn't calling him _papa_ anymore. By the third day of this, Rebekah had had it.

"Irina, you need to speak to Niklaus," she said.

"I'm not ready to see him yet," Irina replied.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Really Irina? Are you not ready, or are you just scared of what everyone else will think?" she asked.

Irina didn't answer, but simply looked down. Rebekah was right- she was scared of what others would think. She was ashamed that her father was known as this murdering hybrid, but she grew up thinking of him as the best dad in the world. He was perfect to her, and now he was this terrible supernatural creature. But then she thought about it- Caroline's dad was a torturer and vampire hater, but he was still her father. Bonnie's dad was never there for her, but he was still her father. Elena's dad was dead, but he was still her father. Why couldn't Irina have a father too?

"I just want you to know that he never stopped looking for you. He _never_ forgot about you. When you were sent here, to this future, it was like you died and that made losing Henrik that much harder to deal with. He never forgot you. He searched the world over for little girls named Irina- and believe me, there were a lot- but with each passing day end he grew more and more… _desperate_. His humanity was all but gone, and now…" Rebekah lectured, trailing off at the end.

Irina looked at Rebekah with wide eyes. "And now…?" she asked.

"Seeing you… being around you, it's given him hope again. I can see a difference in him, and so can everyone else. He's always going to kill his enemies without a thought, but you're bringing his humanity back Irina. But with you not coming to see him… he's starting to get hopeless again. He thinks that you don't want anything to do with him. Maybe he's not that far-fetched, but at least let him know one way or the other. I can't stand seeing him like this," Rebekah said before leaving for school.

Irina looked to the wooden wolf in her hand, and closed her eyes. _What am I going to do?_

* * *

Irina had always been impulsive. She had always acted before thinking. She couldn't tell you the number of people who she's hurt by blurting out the first thing that was on her mind. She'd learned to get better at it though, and right now, she was over analyzing the entire thing. On the one hand, if she chose to acknowledge Klaus as her father, she could alienate herself amongst her friends. Obviously, they wouldn't outright abandon her (she hoped), but she'd be left out of important decisions. They may be at peace with the Originals, but if that didn't last, who's to say she wouldn't be forced to choose a side then? However, on the other hand, it would be her duty as a daughter to see if there were any redeeming qualities left in her father. The memories of her childhood were so fresh - as if they'd happened moments ago, rather than centuries.

She sighed into her cup of coffee. She needed another opinion. She needed someone that she knew would listen to what she had to say without being biased. She took her phone from her pocket and pressed the number 3 speed-dial. She held it to her ear and waited for the person to pick up. After five rings, they finally did.

_Irina, hey!_

"Hey Jeremy. Do you think we could talk?" she asked.

_Sure, I'll be over in a minute. I was on my way to begin with. I've been worried._

She smiled and said; "Thanks."

When Jeremy finally arrived, he hugged her and didn't let go. They sat on the sofa and she told him everything that he didn't already know from Elena. She told him about how Esther gave her memories back, and that she knew who her father was. She told him that her father was Klaus. He was shocked, but he didn't look at her any differently than he did before. She was expecting some sort of revulsion on his part, but to be honest, she should have known better. Jeremy had proven that he was here to stay, so she should have expected how supportive he was.

"So," he said after her explanations, "what are you going to do?"

She sighed and said; "That's my problem. I don't know. This isn't an easy decision to make! When I think of Klaus now, I instantly remember the memories Esther returned. I remember how he would sing me to sleep, and carve little animals out of wood for me and Henrik, and I remember how I thought he was the best father in the village! We were happy, Jeremy! But then I see you, or Elena, or Bonnie... you've all been tormented by him since he arrived, and I'm guilty for those happy memories. I can't have the good without the bad, and it's killing me! I don't know what to do."

Jeremy took her hands and looked at her with a very serious expression. "Irina," he said, "I can't make this decision for you. This is not an easy decision to make, and I don't envy you right now. But, I do know this: You've been in the dark about your family since you were a little kid! Now, you finally have answers, and you finally have a family! You have a father, which is more than a lot of us can say nowadays, and you have so many aunts and uncles I can hardly keep track!" She laughed slightly, and the smile didn't leave her face as quickly as it had before. Jeremy continued by saying; "I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you that whatever you decide, I'll support you. You won't be turned away, and your opinions and input will always matter to me. Klaus cannot change that, okay?"

She smiled through happy tears at his beautiful words, and nodded her head. "Okay," she said.

"Alright. So, now that you're at a neutral place... what will you choose?" he asked.

She thought for a moment - about his words and her own thoughts - and finally, her decision was made. She sighed and said; "I think it's time for me to go see Klaus."


	34. psst

Hi everyone! I'm REALLY sorry to do this, but there are some important things you need to know! First, we finally have a tumblr! :D Since I'm a poor college student who can't afford Photoshop, I'm trying to edit photos in Pixlr, so be patient! Also, if any of you guys are more talented than me, and want to make edits or anything of the sort, please feel free to do so! I would love to see what you all come up with, and I'd love to share it on the Tumblr!

* * *

Here's the tumblr:

mikaelsondaughteririna dot tumblr dot com

* * *

Also, this next chapter might take a day or two. I'm sorry to stick you with a cliffhanger. It wasn't my intention, but when I went to upload the next chapter into the docs, I discovered that it was mostly deleted. (I don't know why...) Good news though: Thursday and Friday is my Fall Break, so I should have time to write then! :D

The final thing I wanted to mention is that we're quickly approaching the stopping point of my original upload. This time, instead of making an entirely new story for a "sequel", I'll just keep it all in one post. I think it's better that way. Now that we're approaching major changes and unwritten chapters, updates might be slower. There won't be multiple updates per day, and there may be times where there's only 1 update per week.

I am sorry about this, but I only have so much time to write.

BTW: Everyone, if you want to, you can send in suggestions for a playlist I'm putting together. It's just songs that remind me of Irina, and it's going to be her main playlist. I thought it'd be nice to hear from you and get your input! (You can comment or message me on here, or send an ask on the Tumblr.)

Thank you all so much for your reviews and your support! It makes my day so much better to come online and see new reviews popping up! :D I love you all so much.


	35. ritual

**AN; Well, here it is! I am so incredibly tired right now, but it's all written! Also, the tumblr is up and running, and I'm going to post something on there just to show you how incredibly different this chapter is to the original chapter that I had published a long time ago, so make sure you check it out. You guys, I have so many changes to make! lol. Anyway, here is the chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. Remember to follow the tumblr! It's mikaelsondaughteririna Please remember to review! **

* * *

But it marks my skin 'cause I know I've sinned  
And it plagues the air, on my house looming  
There's a sound out here in the darkest woods  
And I know my fears are understood

- Ritual by Ellie Goulding

* * *

Irina had been parked outside of the Mikaelson mansion for what seemed like an eternity now. Everytime she worked up her courage to go in, her strength would leave her, and she'd talk herself out of it. Kol and Rebekah were both at school, so she wouldn't have to deal with them listening into her conversation with Klaus. She didn't know where Elijah was, or Finn, but she was pretty sure Esther was still here.

"Come on Irina," she said out loud, "don't be a chicken!"

She took a deep breath and opened her car door. She took her time walking to the front door, and when she got there, her hand seemed reluctant to knock. This was going to be so awkward. What would she say to him? Does she forgive him for all that he's done? Does she forgive him for all that he did in his millennium of existing? She'd never know what the right answer is. All she knew was that she didn't feel as if a piece was missing from her anymore.

She knocked on the front door, and waited for someone to answer. It seemed like it took forever, but finally, someone opened the door. She was shocked to see Caroline standing on the other side of it. Caroline's eyes widened when she saw her friend. "Irina..." she gasped.

"Caroline? What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

Caroline was about to answer, but Esther was already walking towards the door. "Irina, darling... I'm glad to see you," she said with a smile.

"Hi," Irina replied.

"I'm just going to go now. It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Mikaelson," Caroline said before leaving, after giving a friendly smile to Irina.

Esther invited Irina inside and walked with her to a parlor room. They talked on the way. "Rebekah tells me that your memories have returned completely," Esther said.

"Yes ma'am, they have," Irina answered.

"So you remember me, then?" Esther asked, as if afraid that Irina would deny it.

"Of course," Irina replied. "I remember everything. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, it was just... overwhelming."

Esther nodded. "I understand." She pointed to a closed door and said; "He's in there, my dear. You two can talk freely - I'm the only other person here."

"Thank you," Irina said.

She gave a light knock on the door, and when nobody answered, she gently pushed it open. She was greeted with the sight of Klaus painting on a large canvas, and he was wearing headphones. He must not have heard her. It was strange, seeing an ancient hybrid wearing headphones. If the situation weren't so serious she would have laughed. She knocked on the door frame louder, and he finally turned around. He took off the headphones and just stared at her for a moment, like he didn't believe she was really there.

"Um, hi," she said before mentally slapping herself. Was that the best she could come up with?

"Irina," he said. She couldn't make out his tone. He was skilled in hiding his emotions. "You finally decided to visit."

She nodded. She understood his tone now; he was hurt. "Yeah," she said. "I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. It's been... confusing."

"Yes, I should think so."

It would probably be best to get straight to the point. She cleared her throat and said; "So I'm your daughter, huh?"

His expression hardened slightly, and she realized how that must have sounded. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but yes."

"I didn't mean it like that," she said in a low voice. There was an awkward silence, and she scoffed. "I'm not good at this. I'm sorry. I just... don't know what to feel right now, okay?"

"Well I wouldn't expect you to be thrilled," he said.

She furrowed her brows, and said; "Why?"

"I'm not the same, Irina. I'm your enemy now, and why shouldn't I be? I've tried to kill everyone that you love... I've tried to kill you!" Irina flinched at his loud tone. He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I always swore to myself that you would never be scared of me like I was of my father. I promised myself that not long after your mother died, and look how that turned out."

"Klaus..." she tried

"I shouldn't be surprised, really," he continued, interrupting her. "You'll be fine. I just wanted to know that you remembered me. But I'm not your father anymore, Irina. I didn't raise you. You have a new father."

There were tears forming in her eyes. "Stop it!" she shouted. "You'll always be my father!"

"Irina..."

"No, Klaus! You always seem to be the one doing the talking, but this time, you're going to listen to me! I didn't come here to fight with you. I didn't know what I wanted to say before I got here, but now I do. In one night, all of my lost memories were returned to me - the entire beginning of my life. For years I've felt incomplete, because I didn't know who I was. I didn't have a family of my own; I only had a family I had found, but it wasn't the same! Now that the memories are back, I understand. I remember that you were my father, and you used to sing to me when I was sick, and that you tried so hard to put my happiness before yours. I remember that I'll never have a mother again, because she's dead. I remember seeing Mikael drive a blade through your heart! All of these memories are coming back at once, and I'm still trying to sort them out!"

She paused and took a breath, and she waited for him to say something, but he didn't. She took this time to calmly continue.

"I know that the whole family has changed, okay? I get it! I know that we can never be how we were before, but can't we at least try? Can't we try to be a family again?" she asked.

"You'd really want that? You'd really want to be part of a family of monsters?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not monsters, Klaus! I want to be part of a family that has a father who loves me, and searched for me when I'd gone missing! I want to be part of a family that is dysfunctional - in every sense of the word - but still puts family before everything else! I know I've missed pretty much everything that changed this family into what it is today, but does that mean I'm not part of it anymore?"

He didn't answer. He barely even looked at her, as if he were shamed by her words, but she knew better. The hybrid king didn't get shamed. She scoffed and shook her head. "Unbelievable," she said. She turned to leave, but he was in front of her in seconds.

"You don't have to leave, Irina. I'm not exactly good at this either, but I've been waiting for this day for a very long time, and I would like to at least talk."

Irina sighed and composed herself. "Okay," she said. She turned and took a seat on the sofa in his art studio. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well… I don't know. It shames me to say it, but I don't really know you. How terrible is that?" he asked.

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips and said; "If only you'd have gotten here a decade ago."

"Yes… if only. But, at least nobody else found you earlier either," he teased.

She froze. "Actually… someone did," she said.

"I don't understand," he replied.

Irina sighed and thought back to the day that seemed as insignificant as any other day- until Mikael showed up.

* * *

"_Irina, Bonnie! Wait for me!" Elena shouted as she ran to catch up with her friend. _

_They had finally been allowed to walk home from school together since they lived so close to each other. It was a big step for the seven-year-olds. In a small town like Mystic Falls, nothing serious ever really happened. Irina was excited to get home because her Grams was going to tell her more about being a witch- even though it was their little secret. _

"_Elena, what did you make on your spelling test?" Irina asked._

"_I got an A, what about you?" she asked._

"_I got a B," she replied._

_Suddenly, a man was standing in front of them, even though he hadn't been there before. They were so close to the Bennett house, and they could see their grandmother standing on the front porch, waiting. _

"_Elena and Irina…" the man said._

"_We're not supposed to talk to strangers," Bonnie said._

_The man smiled, but it was not a warm smile. "I need you two to come with me," he said._

"_No," Irina replied._

"_Has no one taught you to respect your elders?" he asked._

_Irina focused on him, and soon smoke was rising from his jacket. She wasn't supposed to use her powers in public, but this man was scaring her- he was a threat. "Run!" Bonnie said. _

_The girls ran until they reached the front gate of Sheila's house, but the man was already there with an angry expression. "You should not have done that," he growled. _

_Suddenly he began clutching his head in pain, and Irina saw her Grams walking towards them with a stern expression. "Get inside," she said._

_They didn't argue and they all ran inside as quickly as they could. _

* * *

"At the time I didn't know who he was. I put it in the back of my mind once Grams reassured me he wouldn't be back to harm us again, and it was easy to forget because Abby left after that. She's the one who desiccated him," Irina said.

"So Mikael found you first…" Klaus growled.

Irina sighed and shook her head. "I still can't believe I killed my grandfather," she said.

"No. He was not your grandfather, do you understand?" Klaus said.

"He told me he was. It makes sense now- what he meant when he told me that after I killed him," she rambled in a low tone.

"I don't wish for our first conversation to be about Mikael," he said.

"Very well," Irina replied, and then thought back to something that had happened before Klaus had shown up- right after Caroline had been turned, but before Tyler triggered his werewolf curse. They were at a party in the woods behind the Lockwood estate, and Mason had turned. They had tried to get out of the woods, but it was too late. Mason caught up with Caroline, but Irina told him no, and he listened. It was the strangest thing she'd ever experienced at the time. "Klaus… does this mean that I'm a werewolf too?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," he murmured. "When Esther put the hybrid curse on me, she took your werewolf side to give her more power. I suppose some of the werewolf perks still remain with you, but you won't ever be able to turn."

She rolled her eyes and said; "Fine." She looked at her phone. "Crap, I should probably be going. I definitely shouldn't miss three days of school anymore- Caroline is about to bite my head off. Well, bye," she said.

"Bye," he said.

Before she left she stopped at the door. "Um, actually, I was wondering... since we're on the subject of reminiscing, would you like to go out for dinner, or would that be too weird?" she asked. He opened his mouth to answer but she cut him off, saying; "I'm sorry. That was stupid. It'd be weird right? Definitely..."

He laughed and walked to stand in front of her. "It wouldn't be weird. It would be nice to finally get to know you, Irina, without plots on either of our lives involved."

She smiled and nodded, and they decided that they would have a family dinner that evening. Everyone would be there... _great_. That shouldn't be awkward or anything...

* * *

Jeremy and Elena had stopped by the house before Irina left for dinner at the Mikaelson home. She was so nervous, but they helped... kind of. Jeremy was very supportive and caring, and he said he'd go with her if that's what she needed, but she could tell that he didn't really want to go. She needed to do this on her own, anyway. Elena kept telling her that if anything went wrong, she could be there in mere minutes to pick her up, and Irina didn't know what to make of that. She knew Elena was trying to help, but she didn't like the lack of faith her doppleganger friend had.

After assuring everyone that she'd be okay, she left for the dinner with her long-lost family. As she drove, she thought. She thought on what she might like to say, and she thought of all the ways this could possibly go wrong. Somewhere between the happy thoughts and the sad, she zoned out, and when her attention refocused she saw someone standing in the middle of the lane.

Irina was so shocked to see the person standing there that she immediately jerked the steering wheel in the opposite direction, and her car hit a telephone pole. The last thing she remembered was the person walking towards her and pulling her out of the car.

* * *

Irina woke to chanting and when she opened her eyes she saw a flame in a bowl. Where was she? It looked like a… mausoleum. She stood as best she could and went to the door and tried opening it, but she wasn't enough to get it open. She heard heels clicking on the marble floor, and turned to see Dr. Fell. Irina must have been asleep for some time. The moon was high in the sky.

"Dr. Fell?" she asked.

The woman just smirked at her and turned back to the bowl of flames. She kept chanting and then, as quickly as the flame soared, it died down again. "Now Irina, please sit so we can talk," Meredith said.

"What are you doing? You're not a witch," Irina said.

Meredith sighed. "I'm not exactly Meredith, either. Here's the deal, sweetcakes- this body is just a loner; or, well… stolen," she said.

"Then who are you really?" Irina snipped.

The woman smiled a creepy smile and said; "My name is Mehetebel. That sounds so ancient... why not call me Bela? I have been waiting _so long_ to see my prophecy come to fruition. You and I are going to have so much fun together!"

"Look here, lady. I don't know who you think you are, but your wires are _seriously_ crossed if you think I care about your prophecy, now _let me go_," Irina replied.

She sighed and said; "Such insolence in the younger generation, wouldn't you agree? Irina, darling, I don't want to hurt you. I just need your help!"

Irina furrowed her brow and said; "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, sweetie. You've not heard the prophecy yet," she replied.

Maybe if she kept her captor talking, then she wouldn't have time to harm Irina. Plus, her curiosity was burning, and she just _had_ to know. "So... another prophecy?" she asked.

The woman smiled and, with a sigh, took a seat near Irina. It was odd, but she didn't scoot a way. She wouldn't show her weakness. "Miss Bennett, let me tell you a little story…"

* * *

Niklaus paced in the dining room. The rest of the Original Family was equally as nervous, but he wasn't hiding his discomfort. Irina was late, and they were all pretending that she was still on her way, even though he was pretty certain that she bailed. He was embarrassed, and he was angry, but most of all he was hurt. She had seemed to want a fresh start. She seemed to be warming up to the idea of family. Now... he felt like a fool.

"Niklaus, please, sit down. She could still show," Elijah said.

"That is doubtful. This dinner was meant to be over an hour ago, Elijah! She's not coming," Klaus replied.

"We don't know that for sure," Rebekah said.

Klaus rolled his eyes, but his reply was cut short by the doorbell ringing. He listened as a hybrid answered the door, and was confused to hear the doppleganger speaking.

_We need to see Klaus._

There was a pause before the hybrid saw several people walk into his dining room. His siblings were all standing behind him now, and his mother was standing to the side. It was the doppleganger, the Bennett witch, the Gilbert boy, and Caroline. They all wore matching expressions of worry and slight fright.

"What do you want?" Rebekah asked.

"Did Irina ever show up?" Elena asked.

There was a pause before Elijah said; "No, she didn't. Why?"

"We can't find her! She was supposed to text me when she was on her way home, and that was supposed to be over an hour ago!" Bonnie replied.

"So she was on her way here?" Kol asked.

"Yes. We've been calling her for over an hour, because she always calls in when she says she's going it," Bonnie explained.

"Something must be wrong," Elijah said.

"Will you help us find her?" Jeremy asked.

* * *

Mehetebel, or Meredith- Irina really didn't know what to call her- had sat across from her and dove into a story.

"When I was a young girl, in what I think was the… first century, maybe? Anyway, when I was a girl I was filled with powerful magic. My mother and brother were both witches like me, but my magic was different. My brother and mother's magic was limited and governed by the spirits. Mine, however, was never connected with them. My mother called it expression magic. Nobody knows how it came about, but that I was the first one to have it…

"The darkness of it all became so much that I started harming people for fun. I was the one to create the first werewolf out of an unfortunate lover, and his entire family. I never expected there to be a werewolf gene- I just wanted to make him pay. He did, but his descendants have been paying the price for centuries- but that's a story for a different day. My mother didn't like what I was becoming, so she tried reeling me in, but that just made me want to rebel more…

"One day, my brother helped her come up with a plan. They would turn me into something that couldn't have magic- something that the spirits didn't accept. But, they didn't understand that expression magic meant that it didn't matter what the spirits thought- I could have magic, and they had just succeeded in making me invincible. Mother didn't like that. She and my brother performed another spell- reminiscent of the hybrid curse placed on Niklaus- and used certain things to bind it…"

"Is there a point in our future?" Irina asked, trying to sound brave. Her voice didn't shake, but she wondered if her fear showed in her eyes.

Mehetebel smiled and said; "Yes, the point. Well, the point is that I need the items to break the spell. I have some of my magic while I'm possessing a human host, but unfortunately it's not full-strength. Irina shook her head as she watched Bela move to the pyre in the center of the mausoleum. "In this spot," she began, "Niklaus tore his mother's heart from her chest. It left energy of unimaginable strength. I intend to use it- and the full moon- to help with this spell," Bela explained.

"Just wait a minute!" Irina shouted.

Bela rolled her eyes. "What?" she asked.

"You're still leaving too many questions unanswered!"

"Such as?"

"What spell are you doing? How am I supposed to help you get these items? Why can't you get them yourself? And the most important question: Why in the hell do you think I'd willingly help you get these items?" she listed.

Bela handed an ancient-looking piece of paper to Irina, and she saw something written in a different language. It wasn't Nordic runes, and it wasn't English, so she couldn't read it. "What the hell is this? I can't read it." The letters began changing as Bela spoke them. _The hunter and wolf will together be. They will begin this prophesy. A sister's love will help them through, all other relations they must eschew. Through time they will try to survive, and accomplishing tasks will ensure they thrive. To return to the present they must find success, and then their family will the spirits bless._

"I hate riddles," Irina said.

"Well, it's a good thing that isn't a riddle," Bela replied. "It's a prophecy, Irina... _your_ prophecy. The wolf, the hunter, and the witch..." Bela replied, trailing off with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Irina sighed and said; "I'm not a wolf, okay?"

"Not yet. Your dormant werewolf gene contained energy, Irina. It was this energy that Esther channeled into a talisman - your talisman - for the spell she'd use to send you to the future."

"What does that have to do with me now?" she asked.

"Esther had no right to take that side from you, Irina. You're a direct descendant of the first werewolf every created. He was a son-of-a-bitch, but I don't hold that against you, sweetie," Bela said. She continued by saying; "I'm going to give you your werewolf side back."

Irina laughed. "That's not going to happen. I don't care about your prophecy, and I don't want my werewolf side back, because I'm not going to be a part of this, okay? Now let me out of here!"

Bela sighed and walked towards Irina. She looked genuinely sad at Irina's claim. "Irina, sweetie, you could have made this so much easier. I don't want to hurt you! You're essential to my plans, and all will be revealed soon, but right now I need you to willingly help me."

"And if I don't?" Irina asked.

"Then I'll have to make this painful," Bela said sorrowfully, and her hands grasped the sides of Irina's head. The locket against her skin began to grow hotter and hotter, until it felt like it was burning into her chest. She couldn't stop the scream that tore from her throat as everything went black.

* * *

Three groups were quickly put together: one would go out and search, one (the witches) would try a locator spell, and the third would keep trying Irina on her cell phone. They didn't have enough room for everyone to go out searching, but Jeremy was adamant that he wouldn't be left behind. Klaus, obviously, would be searching. Rebekah threatened to stake Klaus in his sleep if he kept her from searching, and Elijah rounded out the search party. They didn't have to search for long before finding Irina's car. It was completely totaled. There were tire tracks skidded onto the road, and the front of her car looked like an accordion.

She had wrecked close to the cemetery entrance. Klaus stopped the car suddenly, and Jeremy was almost thrown into the front seat. They all got out and surveyed the damage. Klaus' expression was darkening by the second, and he looked ready to hit something. Elijah seemed to sense something, and turned towards the cemetery entrance.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked.

"Do you smell that?" Elijah replied.

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't smell anything."

"Of course you don't. Tell me again how your presence has any effect whatsoever," Klaus replied.

Before Jeremy could answer, a scream erupted from behind the trees. Jeremy didn't need vampire ears to hear it, and he knew that it was Irina. The three Originals took off at vampire speed, but they were knocked on their asses as they hit a force-field that seemed to surround the cemetery.

"What's this?" Klaus snarled.

Elijah sighed. "It looks as though you owe the boy an apology, Niklaus."

Jeremy scoffed. "Yeah, I won't hold my breath." He didn't stop to banter with the siblings. He ran into the cemetery, easily passing over the threshold, and went towards the screaming. He got to the mausoleum and looked inside. Irina was on the floor, surrounded by blood, and Meredith was casting a spell on her. He tried opening the door, but it was stuck. Meredith looked at him and smiled a creepy smile that seemed so out of place.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy shouted.

Meredith waved her hand, and the mausoleum door opened. "Jeremy, dear, please come in."

He walked inside, and the door closed behind him. Meredith smiled the creepy smile again, and he was getting the impression that she wasn't Meredith. "Who are you?" he asked.

The smile never wavered. "Well," she said, "I guess we've found the smart one!"

"What is your name?" Jeremy asked, punctuating each word.

"My name is Mehetebel... but you can call me Bela," she replied.

"How about I call you nothing, and take Irina away from you?" he asked.

"You could try... but you won't get very far," she said. At his confused look, she explained; "I was able to stop your Original friends from entering. Do you really think I won't be able to stop you or her from exiting?"

"What if I just go ahead and kill you?" Jeremy asked.

Bela laughed. "Oh love... it's amazing what it will do to some people," she said. She took him by the hand and led him to a bowl that was sitting on a pedestal. She tried to hold his hand over the bowl, but he wouldn't let her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"This will finish the spell. I need the blood of a human, and you're a human... for now," she said.

"No!" he replied, ignoring the second half of her sentence.

"If this spell isn't finished, Irina will die."

Jeremy paused for a moment and looked at his girlfriend. She was lying on the ground, surrounded by blood, and she looked dead enough already. He took a breath and held his hand over the bowl. Bela punctured it with a small knife, and his blood dripped into the bowl. As the bowl filled, Irina's color began to return.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm healing her body," Bela replied, as if it were normal. She explained by saying; "I have no desire for either of you to be harmed, Jeremy. I need you both!" She let go of his hand and it began healing. She opened the door to the mausoleum and said; "This isn't the last you'll see of me, Jeremy, but it will be a while before I'm ready to see you all again. See you later," she said.

She walked outside and Jeremy followed, but when he stepped out she was nowhere to be seen. Jeremy waited for a minute before going to Irina and lifting her off the ground. He carried her through the cemetery, trying not to trip on headstones and tree roots. How was he going to explain this one?


	36. howl

**AN: I'm sorry for the long wait you guys. The chapters just aren't pumping out like they used to. :/ Oh well... I hope you like this. I know where the story is going now. Yay! Also, this is the last time I'm changing her model, I promise! I'm actually happy with this one. Her name is Taylor Marie Hill, and I think she works great for Irina. Also, PLEASE go follow the tumblr! I update it on a semi-regular basis, and I put updates on the chapters too! PLEASE FOLLOW IT! :) **

* * *

_We must be killers_  
_Children of the wild ones_  
_Killers_  
_Where we got left to run?_

- We Must Be Killers by Mikky Ekko

* * *

Klaus had been in many uncomfortable situations before. He had been the cause of many awkward moments in his life, but this was on a completely new level. Certainly it wasn't weird for him. He was the original hybrid. He wasn't self-conscious by any means... or, he didn't admit that he was. The other person in the room, however, kept shifting awkwardly every few minutes. Jeremy was sitting in a chair on one side of the bed, and Klaus was on the other. Jeremy hadn't let go of Irina's hand since they got to the mansion.

They had tried to send Caroline and Elena home, but they weren't budging, and Esther said that was probably for the best. She was currently occupying them as they waited for Irina to wake. Bonnie certainly wouldn't leave, but that was obvious. Klaus kicked everyone out of the room, but she sat on the other side of the door until Kol convinced her to wait in a more comfortable place. She was stubborn, he'd give her that, but she loved Irina. Jeremy didn't even act as if he'd heard Klaus' order to leave.

They'd been waiting for hours for Irina to wake, and she hadn't yet. The silence was deafening, and Klaus decided to cut the kid a break and fill the silence. There had to be something they had in common. After all, they both loved Irina very much, no matter how much he hated that she was in a relationship. He seemed to respect her enough.

"So," Klaus said, "it doesn't look as if she's waking any time soon. Let's have a little chat."

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. "About what?" he asked.

"By now everyone in your little group knows Irina's true parentage, correct?" he asked. Jeremy nodded. "And this doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it bother me? What her family has done is no indication of the type of person she is," he replied.

Klaus sighed. "That's true, but I have a feeling not everyone would be so understanding. I haven't seen the Salvatores' around lately," he noted.

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't know where they are, but we love Irina. I love Irina... and I'm not turning my back on her just because you're trying to scare me off."

Klaus studied Jeremy for a few moments, and when he had finally formulated a response, Irina's eyes shot open and she sucked in a deep breath. Jeremy and Klaus were both next to her, and the two gentlemen locked eyes – one in confusion, the other in horror – at what they saw. Her eyes glowed yellow rather than their normal blue-green color.

Klaus was out of the room in an instant to get Esther. Jeremy stayed, holding her hand and trying to calm her down before Esther got to the room.

* * *

_"My name is Mehetebel. That sounds so ancient... why not call me Bela? I have been waiting ____so long__ to see my prophecy come to fruition. You and I are going to have so much fun together!"_

_"Look here, lady. I don't know who you think you are, but your wires are ____seriously__ crossed if you think I care about your prophecy, now ____let me go__," Irina replied._

_She sighed and said; "Such insolence in the younger generation, wouldn't you agree? Irina, darling, I don't want to hurt you. I just need your help!"_

_Irina furrowed her brow and said; "I don't understand."_

_"Of course you don't, sweetie. You've not heard the prophecy yet," she replied._

Irina was shaking as Jeremy tried to calm her down. She wrapped her arms around him, and she didn't want to let go. She was so scared. What if Mehetebel came back... and what of Meredith? Her friend was being possessed, and she was probably scared to death! Irina was calming down, and Jeremy wasn't letting go, which she was thankful for. Somehow, she felt different. She felt like if she didn't have Jeremy to hold her, her body would tear itself in two. She didn't like this feeling.

Esther came rushing into the room with Bonnie and Rebekah hot on her heels. Elena and Caroline waited just outside the door, and Kol and Elijah's hands on their arms were the only thing keeping them from rushing in the room. They just didn't want to overwhelm Irina until they learned what happened.

"Irina?" Esther asked. Irina looked at her, the yellow of her eyes fading little-by-little. "Can you explain what happened?" Esther asked.

Irina nodded, and began explaining. "I was on my way here, and there was suddenly someone in the middle of the road. I swerved to avoid her, and my car hit a telephone pole. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a mausoleum, with someone chanting. She told me some sort of story... or _prophesy_? Then she started a spell."

"What was the spell?" Rebekah asked.

Irina got a strange look, like she couldn't really remember. "I think it had something to do with my necklace."

"Where is your necklace?" Rebekah asked.

Irina looked down and lowered the collar of her shirt. There was no necklace there. Instead there was a terrible burn mark.

"What is that?" Klaus asked.

"The necklace burned me..." Irina replied.

Esther sighed and said; "What did she say her name was?"

Irina seemed to be thinking, and it was taking forever, so Jeremy said; "Mehetebel."

"Do you know who's behind this, mother?" Elijah asked.

"I may," Esther said. "What else did she tell you?"

Irina seemed to remember something, and said; "To return to the present they must find success, and then their family will the spirits bless."

Everyone shared a confused look, and Kol said; "What the hell does that mean?"

Esther didn't reply to him. She turned to Jeremy and said; "Why don't you and your friends take Irina home, okay? I think she'll be just fine."

Everyone sensed something in Esther's voice that couldn't be argued with, and everyone – including Rebekah – helped Irina home. She couldn't get over how bad she felt, though. She never let go of Jeremy during the entire trip there.

* * *

Once Irina and her friends had left, Esther gathered her sons into the spell room Niklaus had made for her. Everyone took a seat around Esther's ingredient table. The room was an exact replica of the one she had when they were human, and it helped with the transition into the twenty-first century. The boys had sat like this many times while their mother cured various ailments or healed injuries, or when she taught them all the basic knowledge of the different herbs and tested them for magical abilities.

She gathered items and talismans, until Klaus finally had enough of just watching her grab magical items. Before Klaus' temper exploded at his mother, Elijah placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Mother," he began, "can you tell us what you're doing?"

"Ever since Rebekah showed me a moving image on the cellular device, I have been wondering what the woman in the image could have possibly been doing. I went to the stone hut in the woods, and upon stepping into it, the feeling of darkness was overwhelming. It was even darker than the magic that turned you into vampires. I believe I know what's going on here, and I don't think you're going to like it."

"What do you mean?" Kol asked.

"I believe that Meredith Fell is being possessed by the first immoral," she answered.

"That's ridiculous. We are the first," Kol stated.

Esther shook her head and began explaining. "No, you're not. I didn't think up the vampirism spell or the hybrid curse out of thin air. I used a spell that was already written down, and tweaked it for my own purposes," she said.

"Okay, so who was the first immortal?" Finn asked.

"Two-thousand years ago- around the first century AD, the Roman Empire began expanding into Britain. A woman, named Camilla, was exiled from Rome by her father. Her father certainly thought he was sending her to her death, because as an unescorted woman, she was susceptible to attacks from all people. However, she was an extremely powerful witch, and she wanted to be free of her father's oppression. She took this as an opportunity to begin a new life…"

"She was very charismatic, and she could wrap anyone around her little finger. She found her own escort, since her father wasn't sending one with her. It was a young Roman soldier, whose name has been forgotten to us. She manipulated him into keeping her safe on her journey to Britain, and when they got there, she betrayed him. Eventually, she fell in love with one of the native Brits. They had two children..."

"Her children were born – Mehetebel and another whose name I do not remember. Mehetebel was best friends with a beautiful young lady named Hilda. They were both in love with a boy from a native tribe. However, the boy played them for their feelings. He wanted both of them, but Mehetebel was stubborn. She refused to be shared. He would go behind their backs and see the other. Of course, when they found out, they were… upset- to say the least. But, where Hilda was calm and forgiving, Mehetebel was wild and vengeful. She wanted to get even with the lover, and placed a curse on him. Every full moon, he would turn into a wolf and have no control over what he did…"

"She was able to do this without repercussions from the spirits, because she was born with Expression magic. The spirits did not control her, which made her wild. She found that she enjoyed harming others with her magic. Eventually her mother and brother became worried for her, and sought to make certain she could not harm anyone else with her magic. They placed the spell of vampirism on her- calling upon water for life, instead of the sun, therefore the sun does not harm her. However, they didn't take into account that she was not controlled by the spirits, so she was able to keep her magic. So, her mother put a curse on her as well…"

"She would not be able to use her magic along with her vampirism, unless the spell was broken with certain items that would be scattered throughout time. A prophecy was received and written down, and it's been over one-thousand years that she's waited for the prophecy to set itself up, and now it has."

When Esther was finished with her story, everyone in the room had the same expression on their faces- eyes wide and mouths hanging open. Elijah was the first to recover from her shock. "What is the prophecy?" he asked.

_The hunter and wolf will together be. They will begin this prophesy. A sister's love will help them through, all other relations they must eschew. Through time they will try to survive, and accomplishing tasks will ensure they thrive. To return to the present they must find success, and then their family will the spirits bless._

"What does that even mean, mother? I don't like riddles," Klaus snapped.

"Watch your tone, Niklaus. No one knows exactly what it means! That's why it's a prophecy! You have to piece it together," she explained.

"Well, the prophecy's begun, hasn't it?" Finn asked. "The hunter and wolf will together be... aren't Irina and the boy courting? He has been taught by his hunter-teacher, has he not? And Irina was born of a werewolf bloodline."

"It would seem that way," Esther replied. "We need to keep them all safe, but Irina is our number one priority. Mehetebel can always find her here."

"We'll need to think of a plan," Klaus said before leaving for his art room.

* * *

Elena was dropped off at her house on the way home, so she could explain everything to Jenna and Alaric. Jeremy would stay with Irina, though. Caroline left to scope out the area and make sure Mehetebel wasn't still there, and she would also look for Damon and Stefan. It was just Irina, Bonnie, Bekah, and Jeremy that arrived at the Bennett household. Irina finally let go of Jeremy long enough to run into her bathroom and lock the door. Rebekah could hear her starting to cry.

"Irina, please come talk to us," Bonnie said through the door.

"I'm fine," she lied.

She heard Bonnie step away from the door, and then someone else filled her place. The doorknob gave a groan, and then snapped. Rebekah pushed the door open and walked into the bathroom. Irina allowed herself to be led to her bed, and she sat down, trying to wipe the remaining tears from her face.

"Irina, you're not fine," Jeremy said.

She sniffled, but she couldn't let herself cry. "I am fine."

Bonnie knelt in front of her. "Irina, you never let yourself feel afraid. You never worry about your own well-being. It's time for you to start, okay! Now be honest... are you okay?"

Irina looked around the room. Jeremy, Bonnie, and Rebekah were all sitting on the bed with her. Rebekah had her arms around her, Bonnie was holding her hand, and Jeremy was holding the other. They all loved her – she knew they did – and she felt it. If she were being honest with herself, she had to admit that she was terrified.

Tears began to fill her eyes. "I don't know what happened..." she cried. "I don't know what she did to me, and I don't know when she'll be back. I hate not knowing!"

Rebekah pulled her into a tight hug and shushed her, reassuring her that Klaus would come up with something. Bonnie reassured that everyone would help, no matter what. Irina barely calmed down, and Rebekah gently took her face in her hands.

_Rest peacefully, Irina. Wake when you are calm._ Irina's eyes closed and she was asleep instantly, the look of worry leaving her face. Jeremy stayed with her, and Bonnie made them both some tea before falling asleep in the rocking chair. Rebekah stayed until the wee hours of the morning, but she had to leave to discuss with Niklaus. She had an idea on how to keep Irina sane.

* * *

Klaus had been thinking for hours in solitude. He couldn't think of a solution that would have no repercussions for his family, and it was making him extremely nervous. He was ready to take her memories away again and hide her with so much magic that the best witch in the world couldn't find her.

Of course, doing this would take her away from him again. It would take her away from her friends. Somehow, he knew that it would go terribly wrong, and she would find out. She would resent him forever. Plus, there would be no way to ensure that Mehetebel wouldn't find her. He was up the creek without a paddle, it seemed.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and he sighed. "Go away," he said. "I'm thinking."

The door opened. "Well, too bad. I'm not leaving," Rebekah said.

"Bekah... what do you want?"

"I have an idea, Nik," she said.

He rolled his eyes. He was trying to come up with an idea himself, and he didn't need her help. "Of course you do, Bekah."

"Listen to me, Nik!"

He sighed. "Okay, Bekah. Enlighten me."

"We need to take her away – at least for the summer – so we can get her thoughts off of what just happened. She is scared out of her mind, Nik!"

"Where would we take her, Rebekah, that our enemies won't know us?" Klaus asked.

"It doesn't matter if the enemies know us! What matters is that we're comfortable enough to take her there and know that she'll be safe!"

Klaus thought about her words for a moment, and decided he would listen. "Where do you suggest?"

"New Orleans."

* * *

Irina couldn't stop tossing or turning, and she felt like she were smothering in her bed. She opened her eyes and looked around. Bonnie was asleep in the rocking chair, and Jeremy was asleep next to her. She moved out of his arms, and he never woke. He must have been exhausted.

She still felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't breathe in the small house, and she felt like the walls were closing in on her. She went into her bathroom to splash water on her face, and when she looked in the mirror, her eyes were glowing yellow. She brought her hand up to her face and gasped.

"What?" she asked herself in a soft voice.

Bonnie heard her, and opened her eyes. She saw Irina standing in the bathroom, and walked to the bathroom to see what was wrong. When Irina looked at her, Bonnie gasped at her eyes. Irina looked like she was about to cry.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" she asked.

The suffocating feeling was getting worse, and now she felt like her insides were trying to tear themselves apart. She groaned and ran towards the front door. Bonnie tried to stop her, but she was already gone. She was running faster than Bonnie had ever seen her run before, and she disappeared into the woods.

Bonnie tapped Jeremy' s foot to wake him, and he sat up, startled. "What's going on?" he asked. "Where's Irina?"

"She just ran off! I think we need to get Klaus," she explained.

"What? Why?" Jeremy asked.

"Her eyes were glowing yellow!" Bonnie replied.


End file.
